ommatidium

[om-uh-tid-ee-uhm]

noun

Zoology.

plural

ommatidia 

1. one of the radial elements composing a compound eye.

ommatidium

/ ˌɒməˈtɪdɪəm /

noun

1. any of the numerous cone-shaped units that make up the compound eyes of some arthropods

ommatidium

plural

ommatidia 

1. One of the tiny light-sensitive parts of the compound eye of insects and other arthropods. An ommatidium resembles a single simplified eye.

2. See more at compound eye

Other Word Forms

• ommatidial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ommatidium¹

1880–85; < New Latin < Greek ommat- (stem of ómma eye) + New Latin -idium -idium

Word History and Origins

Origin of ommatidium¹

C19: via New Latin from Greek ommatidion, from omma eye

Example Sentences

In an insect, each ommatidium in the compound eye has a corneal lens, a crystalline cone and a light-sensitive organ at its base.

From BBC

The ommataeum, as already stated, tends to segregate into retinulae which correspond potentially each to an ommatidium of the compound eye.

From Project Gutenberg

The lateral eyes of Scorpio consist of groups of separate small lenses each with its ommatidium, but they do not form a continuous compound eye as in Limulus.

From Project Gutenberg

Each ommatidium is an elongated cone with its broad extremity abutting against the corneal lenticle.

From Project Gutenberg

The ommatidium is from the first segregate and consists of few cells.

From Project Gutenberg