oculus

[ ok-yuh-luhs ]

noun

, plural oc·u·li [ok, -y, uh, -lahy].

1. an eye.
2. Architecture. a circular opening, especially one at the apex of a dome.
3. Archaeology. a design representing an eye, as on funerary pottery found in megalithic tombs of Europe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of oculus¹

< New Latin, Latin: eye

Example Sentences

Nestled in the woods and close to Hunter’s ski slopes, they all have vaulted ceilings and an oculus for gazing up at the stars without sacrificing warmth or comfort.

From New York Times

Meanwhile, string connects all this to a giant collage on the wall, to the oculus in the Guggenheim’s ceiling, and all the way down to the boat-shaped fountain in the ground-floor atrium.

From Washington Post

Time, measured by sunlight moving across the oculus, is marked poignantly in the Guggenheim.

From New York Times

At the top is an oculus, a round opening in the roof, like in the Pantheon in Rome.

From Los Angeles Times

At ground level, a circular port called an oculus will allow passersby to peer into a 325,000-gallon coral canyon teeming with thousands of fish and invertebrates.

From Seattle Times