pineal eye
- an eyelike structure that develops from the pineal apparatus in certain cold-blooded vertebrates.
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Origin of pineal eye
First recorded in 1885–90
Also called third eye.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
pineal eye
- an outgrowth of the pineal gland that forms an eyelike structure on the top of the head in certain cold-blooded vertebrates
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pineal eye
[pĭn′ē-əl, pī′nē-əl]
- A sensory structure capable of light reception, appearing as a spot on the top of the head in lampreys, hagfish, amphibians, and some reptiles, especially the tuatara. Pineal eyes can contain a rudimentary cornea, lens, cone cells, and retina, and are thought to be sensitive to light and dark but not to be able to form images.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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