Optic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɒp.tɪk/

Definitions

1. This term pertains to aspects associated with vision, including the structure and function of the eye, and the devices that manipulate light for visual purposes
2. Connected to the science of sight, it denotes elements concerning the anatomy of the eye, its neural connections, and instruments used for enhancing or studying visual perception
3. Relating to the field of vision, this term encompasses the anatomical details of the eye, the physiological pathways involved in sight, and tools designed to improve or analyze visual experiences

Etymology: The Greek root behind "optic" is a verb of seeing. Ancient Greek "optós" meant "visible," built from the verb "optesthai," "to be seen," and the adjective "optikós" meant "of or for sight." Greek writers used the word for matters of vision long before English existed, so when English borrowed it, the sense of sight came along intact. English took the word through French, where "optique" was in use, or directly from Medieval Latin "opticus." The "-ic" ending is simply the Greek adjectival suffix, the same one found in "public" and "music," which turns a root into a description of something related to it. "Optic" therefore means, quite literally, "belonging to sight."

Synonyms: visual, ocular, seeing, sight-related, eye-related

Antonyms: non-visual, blind, invisible, unseen, imperceptible