optic nerve

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. either one of the second pair of cranial nerves, consisting of sensory fibers that conduct impulses from the retina to the brain.

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optic nerve British  

noun

1. the second cranial nerve, which provides a sensory pathway from the retina to the brain

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optic nerve Scientific  

1. Either of the second pair of cranial nerves, which carry sensory information relating to vision from the retina of the eye to the brain. Disease or injury of the optic nerve can result in partial or total blindness.

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optic nerve Cultural  

1. The nerve that carries electrical signals from the retina in the eye to the brain.

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Etymology

Origin of optic nerve

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

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

After a week getting steroids and pain medicine at Providence St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, he received the biopsy results: an extremely aggressive malignant mass was blocking blood flow to Duong’s optic nerve.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can result in permanent vision loss.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

Spotting a coiled optic nerve in one chameleon provided an important clue, but researchers needed broader evidence.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2025

Every secret of the body was rendered up—bone risen through flesh, sacrilegious glimpses of an intestine or an optic nerve.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan