retina

American  

[ret-n-uh, ret-nuh] / ˈrɛt n ə, ˈrɛt nə /

noun

Anatomy.

retinas, plural retinae plural

1. the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens, is continuous with the optic nerve, and consists of several layers, one of which contains the rods and cones that are sensitive to light.

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Trademark, Computers.

1. Retina, a brand name used by Apple, Inc., to describe display screens having a resolution so high that it is difficult to see individual pixels with the human eye.

   a Retina display; Retina technology; Retina quality.

retina British  

/ ˈrɛtɪnə /

noun

1. the light-sensitive membrane forming the inner lining of the posterior wall of the eyeball, composed largely of a specialized terminal expansion of the optic nerve. Images focused here by the lens of the eye are transmitted to the brain as nerve impulses

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retina Scientific  

/ rĕt′n-ə /

retinas plural

1. The light-sensitive membrane that lines the inside of the back of the eyeball and connects to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina of vertebrate animals contains rods and cones, specialized cells that absorb light.

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retina Cultural  

1. The inner layer of the eye, sensitive to light, that is connected to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina lines the rear of the eye-ball. The lens of the eye focuses waves of light on the retina.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retinal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• retinae
  plural
• retinas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of retina

1350–1400; Middle English ret ( h ) ina < Medieval Latin rētina, perhaps equivalent to Latin rēt- (stem of rēte ) net + -ina -ine ¹

Explanation

A retina is a light-sensitive part of an eyeball that sends nerve impulses to the brain so a picture of what the eye is seeing can be formed. Your retina lines the inside of your eye — it's a thin membrane filled with cells that are extremely sensitive to light. It's your retina that allows your brain to actually see what you're looking at, by sending messages through your optic nerve. In Latin, retina means "net-like layer," from the root word rete, or "net."

Example Sentences

It bends incoming light and helps focus images onto the retina.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

The team also used pattern visual evoked potentials – a painless test that measured how well signals travelled from the retina to the visual cortex.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Another project being led by the University of Edinburgh is developing an AI tool which could be used by opticians to spot the early signs of dementia, by analysing photographs of the retina.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

For the first time, scientists showed that Chlamydia pneumoniae can travel to the retina, the light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

The most sensitive part of the retina is not at the center of the field of view.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan