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

• retinas
  plural
• retinae
  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

The laptop features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, and the base model features 256 gigabytes of storage.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

One leading doctor - president of the American Society of Retina Specialists, Dr Judy Kim - told the BBC charging for a clinical trial went against widely accepted ethical guidelines and was "morally reprehensible".

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2023

Zielenziger, a former business journalist, didn't know it was associated with Retina Consultants of America.

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2022

Retina display, and improved speakers. $1,249 at Apple Related Apple iMac M1 review: the all-in-one for almost everyone Alternatively, you can get a $100 gift card if you buy an iPad Air or iPad Pro.

From The Verge • Jun. 29, 2022

They rode the S-Bahn into the center of the city, where everyone except Joe, who could not afford the twenty-two-dollar price tag, bought or ordered a Kodak Retina camera.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown