presbycusis
"Presbycusis" is the condition of hearing less well as you get older.
And yes, the "presby" part is as in "Presbyterian." In Greek, "presbyteros" apparently means (or meant) "priest" or "elder"; "presbys" means "old man." The "cusis" part is from Greek "akousis" meaning hearing, which is the root of "acoustic."
Comments
"Presbyopia" (farsightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye, occurring typically in middle and old age) has the same root.
Posted by: Simon | June 17, 2006 12:02 PM