See It, Hear It, Feel It: op, ops, opt (sight)

Learn these words that derive from the Greek root opsis, meaning "sight."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. autopsy
    an examination and dissection of a dead body
    From there they are moved to the autopsy room where examiners take fingerprints, look for signs of dental work and identifying marks such as tattoos. Time (Apr 3, 2014)
    auto ("self") + opsis ("sight")
    The "self" in autopsy refers to a medical examiner seeing for him- or herself the cause of death.
  2. biopsy
    the removal and examination of tissue from a living body
    Typically the initial positive test is followed by additional screenings or a more invasive biopsy to look for cancer. Reuters (Apr 21, 2014)
    bios ("life") + opsis ("sight")
  3. myopia
    eyesight abnormality in which distant objects appear blurred
    In nearly half the cases, eye problems were the sole reason for the procedure, with myopia topping the list of ophthalmological reasons. Nature (Apr 9, 2019)
    myein (to shut) + ops ("eye") + ia (suffix forming nouns about disease)
    Also known as "near-sightedness" in America and "short-sightedness" in England, myopia is often easily corrected with glasses.
  4. myopic
    unable to see distant objects clearly
    That doctor looked at the back of Kekoa’s eyes and diagnosed him with myopic degeneration, a dramatic form of nearsightedness. Los Angeles Times (Apr 4, 2026)
  5. necropsy
    an examination of a dead body to determine cause of death
    Later, McCay and his colleagues performed necropsies and found that the cartilage of the old rats looked more youthful than it would have otherwise. Seattle Times (May 5, 2014)
    nekros ("dead body") + opsis ("sight")
    A necropsy is the same thing as an autopsy, although necropsy tends to be used for postmortem examinations of animals, while autopsy is typically used for postmortem examinations of people.
  6. ophthalmologist
    a doctor who diagnoses and treats diseases of the eye
    Good optometrists will refer you to an ophthalmologist if the problem is beyond their scope of practice. Washington Post (May 3, 2019)
    ops ("eye") + thalamos ("inner room, chamber") + logy (suffix forming nouns about study or science) + ist (suffix forming nouns who do or make)
    An ophthalmologist is knowledgeable about the entire eye and its functions.
  7. ophthalmology
    the branch of medicine concerned with the eye
    Dr. Bito soon joined the ophthalmology faculty at Columbia, where he conducted his most significant work in the 1970s and early 1980s on glaucoma. Washington Post (Dec 6, 2021)
  8. optical
    relating to or using sight
    As I watched, I was never sure if the vague and disjointed performance I was seeing was a kind of optical illusion. The Guardian (Aug 3, 2019)
  9. optician
    a worker who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision
    Opticians say people are so addicted to smartphones they may be increasing their risk of eye damage. BBC (Mar 28, 2014)
  10. optometrist
    a person skilled in testing for defects of vision
    Even if your eyes look and feel fine, a periodic exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist is important. Washington Post (Feb 24, 2014)
    optos ("seen") + metron ("measure") + ist (suffix forming nouns who do or make)
    An optometrist does not need a medical license to measure your vision, while an ophthalmologist is a doctor who can perform surgery on your eyes.
  11. panopticon
    a circular prison with cells around a surveillance station
    The philosopher Jeremy Bentham was famed for his panopticon, a hypothetical circular prison that was designed in such a way that its inmates never knew whether or not they were being observed. The Guardian (Feb 17, 2019)
  12. synopsis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
    “That job requires us to evaluate the evidence for ourselves — not the attorney general’s summary, not a substantially redacted synopsis, but the full report and the underlying evidence.” Seattle Times (Apr 3, 2019)
    syn ("together") + opsis ("sight")
  13. synoptic
    presenting a summary or general view of a whole
    There are, perhaps, a different set of concerns for photojournalists — how to create a synoptic narrative captured in a glance — and there are different considerations about audience. New York Times (Jun 27, 2016)
Created on Tue Apr 07 12:35:35 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Apr 07 13:52:33 EDT 2026)

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