Ommatophore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A slender stalk or projection found in certain mollusks that supports the eye
2. a structure that serves as an eye-bearing appendage in some gastropods
3. an elongated feature in these creatures that elevates the visual organ above the body for better sight

Etymology: Ommatophore is a compound built from two Ancient Greek pieces: "ómma", meaning "eye", and the suffix "-phoros", from "pherein", "to bear or carry". Put together, the name describes exactly what the structure does, literally an "eye-bearer", the stalk that lifts the eye away from the body so the animal can see over obstacles and around corners. The word was formed from these Greek parts in the scientific vocabulary of zoology, the same tradition that produced many descriptive terms for animal anatomy. The "-phore" ending is productive in that tradition: "-phore" words name a structure or organ that carries something, so the pattern tells you the job before you learn the anatomy.