A condition of the eye where the eyeball is shorter than normal, causing difficulty focusing on distant objects (nearsightedness).
From Greek 'brachys' (short) + 'metron' (measure) + 'ops' (eye), literally meaning 'short measure of the eye.' The term was coined in the 19th century to describe a specific type of refractive error in vision.
This is actually the opposite of what most people think of as nearsightedness—it's when your eyeball itself is too short, so light focuses behind the retina instead of on it. It's a fascinating reminder that eye problems aren't just about the lens, but about the whole shape of your eye!
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