oculus

[ok-yuh-luhs]

noun

plural

oculi 

1. an eye.

2. Architecture.,  a circular opening, especially one at the apex of a dome.

3. Archaeology.,  a design representing an eye, as on funerary pottery found in megalithic tombs of Europe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of oculus¹

< New Latin, Latin: eye

Example Sentences

Vines will hang from the Lucas’ floating oculus, right above its entry court.

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Nestled in the woods and close to Hunter’s ski slopes, they all have vaulted ceilings and an oculus for gazing up at the stars without sacrificing warmth or comfort.

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Meanwhile, string connects all this to a giant collage on the wall, to the oculus in the Guggenheim’s ceiling, and all the way down to the boat-shaped fountain in the ground-floor atrium.

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Time, measured by sunlight moving across the oculus, is marked poignantly in the Guggenheim.

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At the top is an oculus, a round opening in the roof, like in the Pantheon in Rome.

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