optic vesicle

noun

: an evagination of each lateral wall of the embryonic vertebrate forebrain from which the nervous structures of the eye develop

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of optic vesicle was in 1850

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

optic sign

optic vesicle

optimacy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Optic vesicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optic%20vesicle. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

optic vesicle

noun

: an evagination of each lateral wall of the embryonic vertebrate forebrain from which the nervous structures of the eye develop

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cognoscente

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Popular in Wordplay

optic vesicle

noun

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on optic vesicle

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?