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• optic
  optic

  adjective

  of or relating to the eye or sight.
• Optic
  Optic

  noun

  a device attached to an inverted bottle for dispensing measured quantities of liquid, such as whisky, gin, etc

optic

American  

[op-tik] / ˈɒp tɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the eye or sight.

2. optical.

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noun

1. the eye.

2. a lens of an optical instrument.

Optic ¹ British  

/ ˈɒptɪk /

noun

1. a device attached to an inverted bottle for dispensing measured quantities of liquid, such as whisky, gin, etc

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optic ² British  

/ ˈɒptɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the eye or vision

2. a less common word for optical

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noun

1. an informal word for eye 1

optic Scientific  

/ ŏp′tĭk /

1. Relating to or involving the eye or vision.

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Other Word Forms

• interoptic
  adjective
• nonoptic
  adjective
• postoptic
  adjective
• preoptic
  adjective
• suboptic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of optic

1535–45; < Medieval Latin opticus < Greek optikós, equivalent to opt ( ós ) seen (verbid of ópsesthai to see) + -ikos -ic

Explanation

If you describe something as optic, it has something to do with eyes or vision. Your optic nerve, for example, sends information to your brain from your eyes. You'll most often find the adjective optic in anatomy or biology textbooks, describing the parts of an eye, or disorders involving the eye. Your optic disc is a tiny blind spot that all humans have on their eyeballs, and optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. When it's a noun, optic is an old-fashioned, jokey way to say "eyeball." Optic comes from the Greek optikos, "of or having to do with sight."

Example Sentences

Nonetheless, Dominion’s Virginia-focused service zone is a hot commodity—and is home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers External link, thanks to the location of fiber optic hook-ups and relatively inexpensive land.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

This method is especially attractive for long-distance quantum communication because it is naturally resistant to many of the environmental disturbances that can disrupt fiber optic networks.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Ukraine now relies on acoustic sensors and nets to counter optic fiber drones, while more sophisticated solutions are still in testing, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

But on 9 February, a routine eye appointment showed swelling on her optic nerve, and a brain scan the same night confirmed she had a tumour.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

But she knew that even if the knives were not poised above her optic nerve, she would attend to her nephews only out of duty.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan