cornea

noun

cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə 

: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior see eye illustration

corneal

ˈkȯr-nē-əl 

adjective

Examples of cornea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When the cornea is clouded or scarred, the pathway is blocked even if the retina itself is healthy. —Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The eye develops these and other conditions when the cornea’s curvature is off—too steep, too flat, or too uneven. —Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2025

His corneas also were donated, and his kidneys saved the lives of two men in their 60s in the Midwest. —Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2025

Light reflects off surfaces, passes through the cornea and lens, and lands on the retina, where photons trigger the photoreceptors that kick off neural processing. —Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin (short for cornea tēla "horny web," cornea tunica "horny covering," translating Greek kerātoeidḕs chitṓn), from feminine of Latin corneus "horny" — more at corneous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cornea

noun

cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə 

: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and lets light through to the interior

corneal

-nē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

cornea

noun

cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə 

: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior

corneal

-əl 

adjective