retina Meaning & Definition
What Does Retina Mean?
Retina is used as a noun meaning The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.
Retina: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɛt.ɪ.nə/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Plural | retinas |
Retina Definition (Noun)
- The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball that contains rods and cones sensitive to light, which trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.
Noun
- The thin layer of cells at the back of the eyeball where light is converted into neural signals sent to the brain.
Synonyms of Retina
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Retina synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
retina (plural retinas or retinae or (archaic) retinæ)
Words That Rhyme With Retina
Origin of Retina
From Middle English rethina, borrowing from Medieval Latin rētīna (“retina”, feminine noun), ellipsis of tunica rētīna (“net-like tunic”), used to describe the blood vessel system at the back of the eye. The phrase is attested in the 12th century in Guillelmus the abbot and Gerard of Cremona—the latter may have created this phrase as a translation for Arabic طَبَقَة شَبَكِيَّة (ṭabaqa šabakiyya) "net-like layer", which translates Ancient Greek ἀμφιβληστροειδής χῐτών (amphiblēstroeidḗs khĭtṓn, “retina”),[1] which is attested in the ancient medical writer Galen.[2]
Pronouncing Retina
You say retina as /ˈɹɛt.ɪ.nə/. It has 3 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (ɹɛt).