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.

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Origin of ocellus

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

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
  1. an enlarged discoloured cell in a leaf
  2. a swelling on the sporangium of certain fungi

Derived forms of ocellus

ocellar, 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

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.