optic
adjective
of or relating to the eye or sight.
Optic
1
British
/ ˈɒptɪk /
noun
optic
2
British
/ ˈɒptɪk /
adjective
-
of or relating to the eye or vision
-
a less common word for optical
noun
optic
Scientific
/ ŏp′tĭk /
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Helming says he has fielded interest from companies that want to use his tunnel boring machine for power and fibre optic cables, or pipelines that could transport water, natural gas, or ammonia, for example.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
They also installed advanced sensors that can detect movement up to one-billionth of a meter by using fiber optic cables that can extend or compress if any ground deformation occurs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The optic nerve then exits through the back of the retina, creating a blind spot just below the horizontal level of the eye where no vision is possible.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
In 1997, Gary Winnick’s Global Crossing invested a few hundred million dollars to lay fiber optic cable under the Atlantic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 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
He sees 4DMedical, Electro Optic Systems, Alkane Resources and Kingsgate being added, but cautions that other moves are possible depending on M&A activity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Fiber Optic Solutions, which produces fiber optic gyroscopes and other equipment, was added in December for its contributions to the Russian military and/or defense industrial base.
From Reuters ● Jun. 12, 2023
Many in the industry are setting up educational programs to train people to work with the fiber, said Jim Hayes, the president of the Santa Monica, California-based Fiber Optic Association.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022
After all, the Frenchman has spent the better part of two decades in Southern California; it’s there he built a career designing eyewear for labels like Spy Optic and Arnette.
From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2021
Struggling to remove an especially difficult cover, I wondered if the same Liberty paint was used on the campus, or if this "Optic White" was something made exclusively for the government.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
