ocul-

American  

1. variant of oculo- before a vowel.

   oculist.

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Usage

What does ocul- mean? Ocul- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “eye” or "ocular," a term that means "of or relating to the eye.” It occurs in a few medical and scientific terms. Ocul- comes from the Latin oculus, meaning “eye.” See more about oculus at our entry for the word. The Greek word for “eye” is ophthalmós, source of the combining form ophthalmo-. Related to ophthalmós is ṓps, Greek for “eye” or “face,” and source of such combining forms as -opia, -opsia, and opto-. Ocul- is a variant of oculo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use oculo- article.