contact lens
A thin, curved piece of plastic or glass placed directly on the surface of the eye to correct vision or for therapeutic purposes.
Noun
pl: contact lenses
This term refers specifically to the medical device used for vision correction or ocular therapy. It is almost always used in the plural form "contact lenses" because most people require them for both eyes, though the singular is used when referring to a single unit or the technology in general.
In casual conversation, the word "contact" is frequently used as a shorthand for "contact lens" (e.g., "I need to put in my contacts"). However, in medical or formal contexts, the full term is preferred to avoid ambiguity with other meanings of "contact."
Meanings
Related Words
eyevisionsightoptometryophthalmologyopticianglassesspectacleseyeglasscorneairispupilretinalensmyopiahyperopiaastigmatismpresbyopiarefractiondiopterprescriptioncorrectionfocusblurhydrogelsiliconepolymerplasticsolutionsalinedisinfectantcasecontainerinsertionremovalblinktearlacrimalmoisturedrynessirritationinflammationinfectionconjunctivitiskeratitisoxygenpermeabilitycurvaturediametervisual acuityblindnesscataractglaucomamaculaoptic nerveeyelideyelashscleraaccommodationmagnificationprismfocal length