Meanings
plural Argyll Robertson pupils
- medicineA sign of neurosyphilis in which a bilateral small pupil of the eye reduces in size when the patient focuses on a near object but does not constrict when exposed to bright light.
Synonyms: AR pupil, prostitute's pupil
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sign of neurosyphilis in which a bilateral small pupil of the eye reduces in size when the patient focuses on a near object but does not constrict when exposed to bright light.
Origin
Named after Douglas Argyll Robertson (1837–1909), a Scottish ophthalmologist and surgeon, who described the condition in the mid-1860s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Italian segno di Argyll Robertson
- segno di Argyll Robertsona bilateral small pupil of the eye that reduces in size when the patient focuses on a near object but does not constrict when exposed to bright light
Portuguese pupila de Argyll Robertson
- pupila de Argyll Robertsona bilateral small pupil of the eye that reduces in size when the patient focuses on a near object but does not constrict when exposed to bright light
Cite this entry
Argyll Robertson pupil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Argyll%20Robertson%20pupil
“Argyll Robertson pupil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Argyll%20Robertson%20pupil. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Argyll Robertson pupil,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Argyll%20Robertson%20pupil.
Source: Argyll Robertson pupil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.