cornea

noun

cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə How to pronounce cornea (audio)
: 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 adjective

Examples of cornea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Just ask an ophthalmologist to laser a chemical dye into your cornea or have a silicone iris surgically implanted instead. Katie Camero, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 The cornea, the eye's protective surface, can also be damaged by UVB rays, which cause pain and poor vision. USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 According to Beyer, rubbing the eye too hard could cause an injury to the cornea. Julia Landwehr, Health, 26 Jan. 2024 The corneal endothelium is a thin layer of cells that forms the inner lining of the cornea. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Trabecular bypass operations: A small incision is made in the trabecular meshwork, the area of spongy tissue between the cornea and iris that fluid drains through, and a tiny device is utilized to allow more fluid to pass through the natural drainage system. Amy Marturana Winderl, Cpt, Health, 25 Nov. 2023 This causes inflammation of your conjunctiva (the membrane that covers your eye) and cornea (the clear outer layer in the front of your eye). Korin Miller, Health, 17 Nov. 2023 Face and cornea transplants have been performed before, yet to the NYU Langone team’s knowledge, this is the first time a whole eye has been transplanted successfully (with or without a face). Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 9 Nov. 2023 The compound activates nerve endings in the cornea that send a message to the brain translated as pain. Mark Kurlansky, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cornea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cornea was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cornea

Cite this Entry

“Cornea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cornea. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cornea

noun
cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə How to pronounce cornea (audio)
: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and lets light through to the interior
corneal adjective

Medical Definition

cornea

noun
cor·​nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə How to pronounce cornea (audio)
: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior
corneal adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cornea

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