oculus
Pluraloculi
- 1In architecture, a round or oval window or opening, such as one in a wall or at the top of a dome.
A stained-glass oculus above the main entrance throws colored light across the floor every afternoon.
The architects cut oculi of different sizes into the concrete stair tower, so the climb is dotted with circles of daylight.
UsageThe plural keeps its Latin form: one oculus, two oculi.
Note
A round window borrowed its name straight from Latin, where oculus means "eye"; Italian occhio comes from the same Latin word, inherited through everyday speech rather than taken from books. Shape is what counts here, round or oval wherever it is cut, from a wall to the open crown of a dome.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- English oculus was borrowed directly from Latin oculus, meaning eye. en.wiktionary.org
- Italian occhio developed through inherited spoken Latin rather than learned borrowing. en.wiktionary.org
- An architectural oculus can be oval or circular. en.wiktionary.org
- An oculus can be an opening in a wall or at the crown of a dome. en.wikipedia.org
Less common meaning
- 2The round boss at the center of a volute, the spiral scroll that decorates some column capitals.
Use it in a sentence
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Origin
Latin oculus ("eye") was taken into English as a learned borrowing, and occhio is a doublet of the word.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Latin oculus means “eye”. en.wiktionary.org
- English oculus is a learned borrowing from Latin oculus. en.wiktionary.org
- Occhio is a doublet of English oculus. en.wiktionary.org