WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
adjective.
of or relating to a defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a deviation from spherical curvature which prevents light rays from meeting at a common focus and so results in distorted images
Word Usage
"This discrepancy in focal length is a measure of the astigmatism, often referred to as the astigmatic difference, and will depend on the inclination angle of the light rays and the lens power (as opposed to the shape or refractive index)."