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

Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye conditions where vision loss occurs because of damage to the optic nerve. —Paul McClure 05, New Atlas, 5 Feb. 2025

These shifts were linked to symptoms such as a decrease in eye size, changes in focal field, and, in some cases, swelling of the optic nerve and retinal folds. —Victoria Corless, Space.com, 5 Feb. 2025

Black and Hispanic people, who have higher rates of chronic diseases and are more likely to be uninsured, are also known to experience a higher prevalence of glaucoma, a disease that damages the optic nerve and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

In their study, nine patients had succumbed to potentially blinding conditions, as a result of damage to the optic nerve, while taking common GLP-1 agonist drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. —New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for optic nerve

• conserve
• deserve
• manoeuvre
• observe
• preserve
• reserve
• subserve
• curve
• mirv
• serve
• swerve
• verve

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