Path. [mod.L., ad. Gr. στραβισμός, f. στραβίζειν to squint, f. στραβός squinting (whence L. strabus in the same sense.] An affection of the eyes in which the axes of vision cannot be coincidently directed to the same object; squinting, a squint.
Convergent or internal strabismus a turning inward of the eyes, CROSS-EYE; divergent or external strabismus, a turning outwards of one or both eyes.
1684. Blancard’s Phys. Dict., Strabismus, Squinting, is occasioned by the Relaxation, Contraction, Distorsion, too great Length, or too great Shortness of the Muscles which move the Eye.
1771. Encycl. Brit., III. 155/1. A Strabismus, commonly called squinting.
1846. F. Brittan, trans. Malgaigne’s Man. Oper. Surg., 294. For external strabismus, a flap of the internal portion of the conjunctiva is removed.
1884. T. Bryant, Pract. Surg. (ed. 4), I. 409. Convergent strabismus is the most common of all. Ibid., 412. Divergent strabismus … is often the result of myopia.
b. fig. Perversity of intellectual perception.
1844. H. Rogers, Ess. (1860), III. 111. His prejudices have wholly clouded his common sense, or produced an incurable strabismus of intellect. Ibid. (1846) (1874), I. iv. 198. Any one … not afflicted with polemical strabismus, would as soon affirm that [etc.].
1881. E. Caird, Ess. Lit. & Philos. (1892), I. 193. A view which supposes man to be afflicted with a kind of intellectual strabismus, so that he can never see with one of his mental eyes without shutting the other.
c. attrib.
1864. Lancet, 17 Dec., 689/2. The Strabismus operation made easy.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Strabismus-forceps, a straight or curved pinchers … for holding the muscles to be divided in correcting strabismus.
1876. T. Bryant, Pract. Surg. (1884), I. 411. Strabismus hook. Strabismus scissors.
