anomaloscope

ano·ma·lo·scope
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UK/əˈnɒmələʊskəʊp/UK/-lə-/US/əˈnɑməloʊskoʊp/

noun

An instrument used to test for color blindness by measuring quantitative and qualitative anomalies in color perception.

Scrabble 18

Meanings

nounanomaloscope (plural anomaloscopes)

plural anomaloscopes

  1. medicineAn instrument used to test for color blindness by measuring quantitative and qualitative anomalies in color perception.

    For the differentiation between color vision defects of retinal origin and color defects as a result of optic nerve disease the determination of the neutral zone and anomaloscope examination are important.

    1982, A. Pinckers, “Minimal Requirements for Color Vision Examination”, in G[uy] Verriest, editor, Colour Vision Deficiencies VI: Proceedings of the Sixth Symposium of the International Research Group on Colour Vision Deficiencies Held at the Klinikum der Freien Universität, (West) Berlin-Steglitz, 17–19 September 1981 (Documenta Ophthalmologia, Proceedings Series; 33), The Hague: Dr W. Junk Publishers, →ISBN, abstract, page 169
    2 more examples

    The anomaloscope contains a red-green scale from which may be read a number that is proportional to the amount of red in the mixture field, and a Y scale from which is read a number proportional to the luminance of the test color. In testing an observer, the examiner notes the scale values, which then are available for further transformation as noted for the Nagel anomaloscope.

    1981, Committee on Vision, National Research Council, “Color Vision Tests”, in Procedures for Testing Color Vision: Report of Working Group 41, Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, →OCLC, page 38

    Anomaloscopes are instruments that assess the ability to make metametric matches. The results are used for definitive diagnosis and quantitative assessment of color vision status. Anomoloscopes are much more difficult to administer than pseudoisochromatic plates and arrangement tests. The first anomaloscope was designed by Nagel and is based on the color match known as the Rayleigh equation, that is, R + G = Y.

    2014, Harinder Singh Sethi, “Color Vision and Color Blindness”, in H. V. Nema, Nitin Nema, editors, Diagnostic Procedures in Ophthalmology, 3rd edition, New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, →ISBN, page 22

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekᾰ̓- (ă-)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*sem-h₂-lo-s
  7. Ancient Greekὁμᾰλός (homălós)
  8. Ancient Greekᾰ̓νώμᾰλος (ănṓmălos)
  9. Proto-Indo-European*speḱ-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*spéḱyeti
  11. Proto-Hellenic*sképt͏̌omai
  12. Ancient Greekσκέπτομαι (sképtomai)
  13. Ancient Greekσκοπός (skopós)
  14. Ancient Greekσκοπέω (skopéō)
  15. GermanAnomaloskop
  16. Englishanomaloscope

From German Anomaloskop, from Ancient Greek ἀνώμαλος (anṓmalos, “irregular, uneven”) (from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓- (ă-, “a-, prefix meaning ‘not’”) + ὁμᾰλός (homălós, “even, level”)) + σκοπέω (skopéō, “to look, to look at; to examine, to inspect”) (from Proto-Indo-European *sḱop, ultimately from *speḱ- (“to see; to look, to observe”)).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Anomaloskop
  • Anomaloskopinstrument used to test for color blindness
Portuguese anomaloscópio
  • anomaloscópioinstrument used to test for color blindness
Cite this entry
APA

anomaloscope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anomaloscope

MLA

“anomaloscope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anomaloscope. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anomaloscope,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anomaloscope.

Source: anomaloscope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.