ocellus
Americannoun
-
a type of simple eye common to invertebrates, consisting of retinal cells, pigments, and nerve fibers.
-
an eyelike spot, as on a peacock feather.
noun
-
the simple eye of insects and some other invertebrates, consisting basically of light-sensitive cells
-
any eyelike marking in animals, such as the eyespot on the tail feather of a peacock
-
botany
-
an enlarged discoloured cell in a leaf
-
a swelling on the sporangium of certain fungi
-
-
A small, simple eye or eyespot, found in many invertebrates.
-
A marking that resembles an eye, as on the wings of some butterflies.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ocellus
1810–20; < Latin: little eye, diminutive of oculus eye; see -elle
Vocabulary lists containing ocellus
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:
Retinula -ae: the retina of a single ocellus: the nerve fibres or cells between pigment cells and retina of the compound eye.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
The barbs coalesce towards the extremity of the shaft to form the oval disc or ocellus, which is certainly one of the most beautiful objects in the world.
From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume II (1st Edition) by Darwin, Charles
A, B, C, &c., dark stripes running obliquely down, each to an ocellus.
From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume II (1st Edition) by Darwin, Charles
Thus the formation of an ocellus in its most elementary state appears to be a simple affair.
From The Descent of Man by Darwin, Charles
The flower was at one time called ocellus, from the eye-shaped markings of its corolla.
From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas
Bands of small blue ocelli are present on the rump feathers and near the tips of the uppertail coverts and tail feathers.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 16, 2013
Although hydras do not have eyes, other members of their family have simple eyes called ocelli.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 20, 2012
Darwin was acutely aware of this and admired the modelling of the ocelli on the argus pheasant tail feathers as "more like a work of art than of nature".
From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2012
The tail and wing-feathers of this bird are ornamented with beautiful ocelli, like those on the peacock’s train.
From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex Volume II (1st Edition) by Darwin, Charles
In each case, the insect consists of a worm-like body, having a small head provided with biting jaws and simple eyes or ocelli.
From Butterflies Worth Knowing by Weed, Clarence M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
