Draize test

[ dreyz ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a test assessing the potential of a drug, chemical, cosmetic, or other commercial product to produce irritation, pain, or damage to the human eye by studying its effect on a rabbit's eye.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Draize test¹

First recorded in 1975–80; named after John H. Draize (1900–92), U.S. pharmacologist, who devised it

Example Sentences

The question alluded to the use of the Draize test, which involved dripping substances such as toluene into rabbits’ eyes, causing pain and sometimes blindness.

From Scientific American

Animal-rights groups singled out the Draize test, in which dyes are injected into rabbits' eyes, in their effort to persuade the cosmetics industry to cut down on animal testing.

From Time Magazine Archive