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ptosis

American  
[toh-sis] / ˈtoʊ sɪs /

noun

Pathology.
  1. a drooping of the upper eyelid.

  2. prolapse or drooping of any organ.


ptosis British  
/ ˈtəʊsɪs, ˈtɒtɪk /

noun

  1. prolapse or drooping of a part, esp the eyelid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of ptosis

1735–45; < New Latin < Greek ptṓsis a falling

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital were initially baffled and diagnosed her with ptosis, an eye condition characterised by the drooping of the upper eyelid, and told her to go home to rest.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

This process is called pyroptosis, from the Latin "pyro" for fire and the Greek "ptosis" for falling off, like the leaves of a tree.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2022

The 2-year-old from the Ivory Coast was born with closed eyelids, a condition known as bilateral congenital eyelid ptosis, often referred to as drooping eyelids.

From Washington Times • Dec. 25, 2014

Eye-strain is another; ptosis, or falling of the organs, is another.

From Outwitting Our Nerves A Primer of Psychotherapy by Jackson, Josephine A.

It was doubtful in this case whether the ptosis depended on injury to the nerve of supply, or on laceration and fixation of the levator palpebræ superioris.

From Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900 Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre by Makins, George Henry

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