ocellus

[oh-sel-uh s]

noun, plural o·cel·li

[oh-sel-ahy] /oʊˈsɛl aɪ/.

a type of simple eye common to invertebrates, consisting of retinal cells, pigments, and nerve fibers.
an eyelike spot, as on a peacock feather.

Origin of ocellus

1810–20; < Latin: little eye, diminutive of oculus eye; see -elle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ocellus

Historical Examples of ocellus

Ocellus, Count of Nantes, and most of the inhabitants of Brittany, were buried in that city.
Mediaeval Tales
Various
The usual markings occur, but there is no eye-spot, or ocellus, on the primaries.
The Butterfly Book
William Jacob Holland
An ocellus with a smaller near it, called also Sesquiocellus.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. IV (of 4)
William Kirby
The lower margin or base of the dark-blue centre of the ocellus is deeply indented on the line of the shaft.
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex
Charles Darwin
The shading above the white mark on the summit of the ocellus is here a little too dark.
The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex
Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for ocellus

ocellus

noun plural -li (-laɪ)

the simple eye of insects and some other invertebrates, consisting basically of light-sensitive cells
any eyelike marking in animals, such as the eyespot on the tail feather of a peacock
botany
1. an enlarged discoloured cell in a leaf
2. a swelling on the sporangium of certain fungi

Derived Formsocellar, adjectiveocellate (ˈɒsɪˌleɪt) or ocellated (ˈɒsɪˌleɪtɪd), adjectiveocellation, noun

Word Origin for ocellus

C19: via New Latin from Latin: small eye, from oculus eye

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ocellus in Science

ocellus

[ō-sĕl′əs]

Plural ocelli (ō-sĕl′ī′)

A small, simple eye or eyespot, found in many invertebrates.
A marking that resembles an eye, as on the wings of some butterflies.