Hemeralopia

/ˌhɛmərəˈloʊpiə/ noun

Definition

A vision condition where someone has good eyesight in bright light but has difficulty seeing in dim or dark conditions; opposite of night blindness.

Etymology

Greek 'hemera' (day) + 'alopos' (blind) + '-ia' (condition). Named paradoxically—literally 'day blindness' even though the person functions well during the day and struggles at night.

Kelly Says

Hemeralopia reveals how ancient physicians named conditions based on their misconceptions—they thought the problem was with day vision, not realizing it was actually rod cells not working well in darkness.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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