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

Left alone, dry eye can create tiny abrasions on the cornea, raise infection risk and in rare cases cause scarring that permanently affects vision. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Removing a particularly dry lens could potentially disturb the epithelium, the outer layer of the cornea, causing significant irritation and potentially affecting vision. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Mike recently died at age 59 from aspiration pneumonia and his sisters had his corneas donated. — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

In order to get the items to avoid eye infections and painful cornea cuts, Sanchez-Corona had to fill out a form and wait 48 hours. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

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