Exophoria

/ˌɛksəˈfɔriə/ noun

Definition

A condition where one eye tends to turn outward (away from the nose) when it's not being used to focus on something, a type of eye misalignment.

Etymology

From Greek 'exo-' (outside) and 'phoria' (tendency to move). Ophthalmologists use this term to describe the natural tendency of one eye to drift outward when not actively looking at something.

Kelly Says

Exophoria is like your eye's default 'resting position'—when you cover one eye or when you're tired, it naturally wants to drift outward, but your brain usually corrects this so you don't notice it happening all day long.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.