optic cup

noun

: the optic vesicle after invaginating to form a 2-layered cup from which the retina and pigmented layer of the eye will develop

called also eyecup

Examples of optic cup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just as in normal embryonic development, over the course of about a week the cells organized themselves into a small sac that spontaneously folded itself in half to form the optic cup, a structure that consists of the retina and its supporting layer. Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011 The stem cells formed a sac that then folded in half a couple days later (see image above, courtesy of Nature), forming the optic cup. Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of optic cup was circa 1882

Dictionary Entries Near optic cup

Cite this Entry

“Optic cup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optic%20cup. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

optic cup

noun
: the optic vesicle after invaginating to form a 2-layered cup from which the retina and pigmented layer of the eye will develop

called also eyecup

More from Merriam-Webster on optic cup

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!