fovea

American  

[foh-vee-uh] / ˈfoʊ vi ə /

noun

Biology.

PLURAL

foveae

1. a small pit or depression in a bone or other structure.

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fovea British  

/ ˈfəʊvɪə /

noun

1. anatomy any small pit or depression in the surface of a bodily organ or part

2. See fovea centralis

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Other Word Forms

• foveal adjective
• foveate adjective
• postfoveal adjective

Etymology

Origin of fovea

1840–50; < Latin: pit

Example Sentences

The region of the highest cone density lies within the foveae, allowing the birds to clearly perceive distant objects through magnification.

From Science Daily

It was one of the arteries supplying blood to the fovea, the part of the retina providing the clearest vision.

From New York Times

That’s because cones are packed most tightly in the very center of your retina, in a small area called the ‘fovea.’

From Scientific American

Those piercing eyes are much like yours, equipped with 3-D vision and a fovea — a centralized concentration of light receptors — the better to focus and track.

From New York Times

The damage occurs in the fovea, a spot in the retina that is responsible for sharp, central vision.

From Scientific American