ocellus
[ oh-sel-uhs ]
/ oʊˈsɛl əs /
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.
QUIZZES
BEAT THE DOLDRUMS WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
We know you’ll tackle this quiz totis viribus! See how many words from the week of Oct 12–18, 2020 you get right!
Question 1 of 7
What does “Indigenous” mean?
Words nearby ocellus
Oceanus Procellarum, ocellar, ocellated, ocellated turkey, ocellation, ocellus, ocelot, och, oche, ocher, ochlesis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for ocellus
British Dictionary definitions for ocellus
ocellus
/ (ɒˈsɛləs) /
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
- an enlarged discoloured cell in a leaf
- a swelling on the sporangium of certain fungi
Derived forms of ocellus
ocellar, adjectiveocellate (ˈɒsɪˌleɪt) or ocellated (ˈɒsɪˌleɪtɪd), adjectiveocellation, nounWord 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
Scientific definitions for ocellus
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.