parietal eye

American

noun

Zoology. a median outgrowth of the diencephalon anterior to the pineal apparatus, having visual adaptations in many anamniotes and lizards.

Etymology

Origin of parietal eye

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

"The pineal gland is present in most vertebrate, while the parietal eye is only present some lizards, the tuatara some frogs and salamander," Tosini explained to Salon.

From Salon • May 15, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023