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• optic
  optic

  adjective

  of or relating to the eye or sight.
• Optic
  Optic

  noun

  a device attached to an inverted bottle for dispensing measured quantities of liquid, such as whisky, gin, etc

optic

American  

[op-tik] / ˈɒp tɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the eye or sight.

2. optical.

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noun

1. the eye.

2. a lens of an optical instrument.

Optic ¹ British  

/ ˈɒptɪk /

noun

1. a device attached to an inverted bottle for dispensing measured quantities of liquid, such as whisky, gin, etc

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optic ² British  

/ ˈɒptɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the eye or vision

2. a less common word for optical

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noun

1. an informal word for eye 1

optic Scientific  

/ ŏp′tĭk /

1. Relating to or involving the eye or vision.

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Other Word Forms

• interoptic
  adjective
• nonoptic
  adjective
• postoptic
  adjective
• preoptic
  adjective
• suboptic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of optic

1535–45; < Medieval Latin opticus < Greek optikós, equivalent to opt ( ós ) seen (verbid of ópsesthai to see) + -ikos -ic

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Explanation

If you describe something as optic, it has something to do with eyes or vision. Your optic nerve, for example, sends information to your brain from your eyes. You'll most often find the adjective optic in anatomy or biology textbooks, describing the parts of an eye, or disorders involving the eye. Your optic disc is a tiny blind spot that all humans have on their eyeballs, and optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. When it's a noun, optic is an old-fashioned, jokey way to say "eyeball." Optic comes from the Greek optikos, "of or having to do with sight."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

optic Optic

"Because ischemic optic neuropathy can present with sudden vision loss, which may be permanent, early recognition of symptoms and prompt ophthalmologic evaluation may be especially important for patients at higher baseline risk."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

The non-invasive technique uses reflected light to create high-resolution, cross-sectional images of biological tissues, particularly the retina and optic nerve, allowing doctors to detect and monitor disease.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

There are several risk factors for NAION, including a chronic condition like Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, or being born with a small optic disc.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

When the agency tried to activate a backup fiber optic line, it discovered the cable had been severed during construction in New Jersey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Then she placed her hands, vertically, over her eyes and pressed the heels hard, as though to paralyze the optic nerve and drown all images into a voidlike black.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

He sees 4DMedical, Electro Optic Systems, Alkane Resources and Kingsgate being added, but cautions that other moves are possible depending on M&A activity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

Searle lives with a rare eyesight condition called Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy - which affects vision by causing the optic nerve to become progressively thinner.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

Fiber Optic Solutions, which produces fiber optic gyroscopes and other equipment, was added in December for its contributions to the Russian military and/or defense industrial base.

From Reuters ● Jun. 12, 2023

Many in the industry are setting up educational programs to train people to work with the fiber, said Jim Hayes, the president of the Santa Monica, California-based Fiber Optic Association.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022

Struggling to remove an especially difficult cover, I wondered if the same Liberty paint was used on the campus, or if this "Optic White" was something made exclusively for the government.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

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