eyespot

noun

eye·spot ˈī-ˌspät

Synonyms of eyespot next

: a usually small spot of color (as on the wing of a butterfly) that resembles an eye

: a simple visual organ of pigment or pigmented cells covering a sensory termination : ocellus

: a small pigmented body of various unicellular algae

: any of several fungal diseases of cultivated grasses (such as corn, wheat, and sugarcane) characterized by yellowish oval lesions on the leaves and stem

Example Sentences

a tie having eyespots of blue on a light gray background

Recent Examples on the Web An up-close look at a peacock's iridescent eyespot. —

Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2016 The 30-centimeter-long adult grows out of a larva that is little more than a sesame seed–size blob with an eyespot at one end and a band of cilia around its body. —

Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 17 Jan. 2023 According to Schwab, the transition from eyespot to eye is quite small. —

Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2012 The eyespot is studded with light-sensitive proteins called channelrhodopsins. —

Marc Zimmer, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2021 Some of the earliest renditions might have been a simple pit eye, a kind of pit of tissue lined with light receptors, or what scientists call an eyespot, a simple region that detects light. —

Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, 19 May 2021 It’s a creepy little critter, with a single, distinctive black eyespot at the head of one to four spines. —

Popular Science, 17 Feb. 2021 During two days in October, these break off from the rest of the worm, and using an eyespot within, swim toward the surface—and the light of the moon. —

Douglas Main, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019 Scientists suspect eyespots first evolved in Jurassic lacewings and then a second time in modern butterflies. —

Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, 7 June 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eyespot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.