cornea

American  

[kawr-nee-uh] / ˈkɔr ni ə /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the transparent anterior part of the external coat of the eye covering the iris and the pupil and continuous with the sclera.

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cornea British  

/ ˈkɔːnɪə /

noun

1. the convex transparent membrane that forms the anterior covering of the eyeball and is continuous with the sclera

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cornea Scientific  

/ kôr′nē-ə /

1. The tough transparent membrane of the outer layer of the eyeball that covers the iris and the pupil.

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cornea Cultural  

1. The transparent outer covering of the front of the eye that covers the iris and pupil.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multicorneal
  adjective
• corneal
  adjective
• precorneal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cornea

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin cornea ( tēla, later tunica ) horny (web or tunic), feminine of corneus corneous

Explanation

Your cornea is part of your eyeball — specifically, it's the clear layer that covers your whole iris and pupil. Without a cornea (or two), you wouldn't be able to see. This transparent dome focuses light as it passes through, as well as protecting the rest of the eye from injury. If you've ever gotten a little scratch on your eyeball, that's called a corneal abrasion and it usually heals itself quickly. The Latin root of cornea means "horn-like web or sheath," from an ancient Greek belief that it resembled a thin slice of an animal's horn.

Example Sentences

Another company, New York-based Cornea, harnesses AI to feed geographical and topographical data into its maps that can lay out potential fire behaviour, says chief executive Josh Mendelsohn.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2023

Cornea transplants can also be done, though “in dogs, we do these to save an eye from rupturing to save vision — not to improve vision, as in people,” Dr. Beale said.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2017

Cornea tissue can give the gift of sight to someone who needs it.

From Washington Times • Apr. 5, 2015

Said Doina Cornea, a longtime dissident and a founder of the National Christian Peasant Party: "We don't need central control anymore."

From Time Magazine Archive

Cornea, kor′ne-a, n. the transparent horny membrane which forms the front covering of the eye.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various