scotoma

American  

[skoh-toh-muh] / skoʊˈtoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

scotomas, scotomata

1. loss of vision in a part of the visual field; blind spot.

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scotoma British  

/ skɒˈtəʊmə, skɒˈtɒmətəs /

noun

1. pathol a blind spot; a permanent or temporary area of depressed or absent vision caused by lesions of the visual system, viewing the sun directly ( eclipse scotoma ), squinting, etc

2. psychol a mental blind spot; inability to understand or perceive certain matters

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Other Word Forms

• scotomatous adjective

Etymology

Origin of scotoma

1535–45; < Late Latin < Greek skótōma dizziness. See scoto-, -oma

Example Sentences

Another memorable image is a scientific illustration of “a scintillating scotoma, one of many manifestations of migraine aura.”

From Washington Post

In the spectrum’s wake was an area of diminished vision called a scotoma.

From Nature

When he closed his left eye Sacks “amputated” his leg by moving his gaze until it was contained within the scotoma.

From Scientific American

He even pulled out a fancy word — scotoma — to explain the philosophy.

From Washington Post

The other phenomenon above mentioned, which occurs in defective vision without being actually a necessary symptom, is the depreciation of the central visual acuity, which we designate as central scotoma in acquired amblyopia.

From Project Gutenberg