ocellus

[ oh-sel-uhs ]

noun

, plural o·cel·li [oh-, sel, -ahy].

1. a type of simple eye common to invertebrates, consisting of retinal cells, pigments, and nerve fibers.
2. an eyelike spot, as on a peacock feather.

ocellus

/ ˈɒsɪˌleɪt; ˈɒsɪˌleɪtɪd; ɒˈsɛləs /

noun

1. the simple eye of insects and some other invertebrates, consisting basically of light-sensitive cells
2. any eyelike marking in animals, such as the eyespot on the tail feather of a peacock
3. botany
   1. an enlarged discoloured cell in a leaf
   2. a swelling on the sporangium of certain fungi

ocellus

/ ō-sĕl′əs /

, Plural ocelli ō-sĕl′ī′

1. A small, simple eye or eyespot, found in many invertebrates.
2. A marking that resembles an eye, as on the wings of some butterflies.

Derived Forms

• ˌocelˈlation, noun
• oˈcellar, adjective
• ocellate, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ocellus¹

1810–20; < Latin: little eye, diminutive of oculus eye; -elle

Word History and Origins

Origin of ocellus¹

C19: via New Latin from Latin: small eye, from oculus eye

Example Sentences

Stem′let, a little or young stem; Stem′ma, a pedigree or family tree: an ocellus.

From Project Gutenberg

Diameter of ocellus: Maximal outside diameter of largest (not conspicuously ovoid or oblong) ocellus on carapace.

From Project Gutenberg

So that the ancestry of the name runs thus:—Ocellus—œillet—Willy—William.

From Project Gutenberg

The usual markings occur, but there is no eye-spot, or ocellus, on the primaries.

From Project Gutenberg

An ocellus with a smaller near it, called also Sesquiocellus.

From Project Gutenberg