oculus
Americannoun
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oculi
plural
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an eye.
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Architecture. a circular opening, especially one at the apex of a dome.
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Archaeology. a design representing an eye, as on funerary pottery found in megalithic tombs of Europe.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of oculus
< New Latin, Latin: eye
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:
The portraits are placed under an elaborate, illusionistic ceiling topped with a trompe l’oeil oculus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
A large open-air square, which Halsey calls an oculus, contains carvings of neighborhood landmarks, faces, signs and symbols.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
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.
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
At ground level, a circular port called an oculus will allow passersby to peer into a 325,000-gallon coral canyon teeming with thousands of fish and invertebrates.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2022
She confirmed that she had scaled the spire and entered through the oculus, but claimed she hadn’t come to steal.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
In Classical architecture, oculi were left open to the elements, and these skylights can open, too.
From New York Times ● Aug. 30, 2016
It requires contractions of the orbicularis oculi, the sphincter muscle surrounding the eye socket, which, Duchenne wrote, “is only put in play by the sweet emotions of the soul.”
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 5, 2015
This expression was more complex, utilizing both the zygomatic major muscles and the orbicularis oculi muscles that form crow’s feet around your eyes.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2014
Another example is the orbicularis oculi, one of which surrounds each eye.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
It is almost impossible to tighten the orbicularis oculi, pars orbitalis on demand, and it is equally difficult to stop it from tightening when we smile at something genuinely pleasurable.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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