optic nerve

noun

: either of the second pair of cranial nerves that pass from the retina to the optic chiasma and conduct visual stimuli to the brain see eye illustration

Examples of optic nerve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Doctors suspected Noah had been born with optic nerve hypoplasia, meaning his optic nerves were under-developed. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025 The surplus of photons triggered a signal through my optic nerves, and in a millisecond, a web of electrical signals reached across my brain, branching into billions of neurons and trillions of synapses. Michael Jones McKean, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 She was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia as a baby—but getting that initial diagnosis was far from easy. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 Since high intracranial pressure can damage the optic nerve and lead to permanent vision loss, the primary goal of treatment is to decrease pressure and preserve the optic nerve. Danielle Wilhour, The Conversation, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for optic nerve

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of optic nerve was in 1615

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Cite this Entry

“Optic nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optic%20nerve. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

optic nerve

noun
: either of a pair of sensory nerves that are the second pair of cranial nerves and carry visual information from the retina of the eye to the brain

Medical Definition

optic nerve

noun
: either of the pair of sensory nerves that comprise the second pair of cranial nerves, arise from the ventral part of the diencephalon, form an optic chiasma before passing to the eye and spreading over the anterior surface of the retina, and conduct visual stimuli to the brain

called also second cranial nerve

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