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

Look at a partial eclipse long enough and you can burn the sun into your retinas, which can result in a permanent hole in your vision called a scotoma.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2024

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

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

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

From Nature • Oct. 13, 2020

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 Schweigger on Squint A Monograph by Dr. C. Schweigger by Schweigger, C.

The field of vision is frequently limited by the white and exhibits much stranger anomalies, a special irregularity of outline with deep peripheral scotoma, which we shall see is a special characteristic of the epileptic.

From Criminal Man According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso by Lombroso, Gina