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

The company makes the digital signal processors that turn electrical signals into light pulses so that data can travel quickly through fiber optic cables.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 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

After visiting an optician who identified a problem with his optic nerve and referred him to a neurologist, George received an MRI and lumbar puncture which confirmed his MS diagnosis in March 2022.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

This theory underpins much of today's technology, including computer chips, lasers, fiber optic communication, solar panels, MRI scanners, electron microscopes, and the atomic clocks used in GPS systems.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

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