Recent Examples on the WebThe technical term for my mother’s drooping eyelids was ptosis. Paul Muldoon, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2021 Freitag squints at my face on the screen and says my ptosis is perceptible but mild. Jancee Dunn, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2021 This is best for hiding the fact that my eyes are not symmetrical—a result of being born with ptosis, a drooping eyelid, and many operations to correct it. Gal Beckerman, The New Republic, 7 May 2018 The researchers did find that aging (duh), number of pregnancies and smoking did cause breast ptosis. Alexis Madrigal, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2007
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek ptōsis act of falling, from piptein
First Known Use
1710, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
ptosis
noun
pto·sis ˈtō-səs
plural ptoses -ˌsēz
: a sagging or prolapse of an organ or part
renal ptosis
especially: a drooping of the upper eyelid (as from paralysis of the oculomotor nerve)