Meanings
miosis1
plural mioses · alternative myosis
- abbreviationcontractioncountableuncountableContraction of the pupil of the eye.
Horner's syndrome consists of typically unilateral miosis and eyelid ptosis, and absent forehead sweating.
Antonyms: mydriasis
miosis2
plural mioses
- alternativecountableobsoleteuncountableAlternative spelling of meiosis.
Though some condemn rhetoric as the mother of lies, speaking more than the truth in hyperboles, less in her miosis, otherwise in her metaphors, contrary in her ironies, yet is there excellent use of all these […]
1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
noun(genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)
nounreflex contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris in response to a bright light (or certain drugs) causing the pupil to become smaller
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
miosis · noun
From Ancient Greek μύω (múō, “to close the eyes”) + English -osis.
Full word history & related roots →miosis · noun
- Ancient Greekμείωσις
- Englishmiosis
From Ancient Greek μείωσις (meíōsis).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian свиване на зеницата
- свиване на зеницата (svivane na zenicata)contraction of the pupil of the eye
Catalan miosi
- miosicontraction of the pupil of the eye
Greek μύωση
- μύωση (mýosi)contraction of the pupil of the eye
Italian miosi
- miosicontraction of the pupil of the eye
Portuguese miose
- miosecontraction of the pupil of the eye
Spanish miosis
- miosiscontraction of the pupil of the eye
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with miosis
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
miosis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miosis
“miosis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miosis. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “miosis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miosis.
Source: miosis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.