noun · masculinesecond declension
oculus
oculus m (genitive oculī)
Classical[ˈɔ.kʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔː.ku.lus]
№ 206 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- literallymasculineeye
Quam diū quisquam erit quī tē dēfendēre audeat, vīvēs, et vīvēs ita ut nunc vīvis, multīs meīs et firmīs praesidiīs obsessus nē commōvēre tē contrā rem pūblicam possīs. Multōrum tē etiam oculī et aurēs nōn sentientem, sīcut adhūc fēcērunt, speculābuntur atque custōdient.
As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic: many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, though you shall not perceive them.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationesā saeculō nōn audiērunt neque auribus percēpērunt oculus nōn vīdit Deus absque tē quae praeparāstī expectantibus tē.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Isaiah.64.4 - masculinesight, vision
- literarymasculinepoeticluminary of the sun and stars
- masculinespot resembling an eye, such as on a peacock feather
- masculineeye, bud, bourgeon
- masculinebud, bulb or knob on many roots, on the reed, etc.
- masculinegreat houseleek
- figurativelymasculineprincipal ornament
- figurativelymasculineeye of the soul, mind's eye
admōvēre oculīs distantia sīdera nostrīs aetheraque ingeniō supposuēre sūō.
Translation by Anne and Peter Wiseman They brought close the distant stars with the eyes of the mind, and made the heavens subject to their intellect.8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti I.305–306
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
pars capitis quā vidēmus; duōs oculōs habēmus.oculus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum
quō vidēmusoculus -ī (m) — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 4, 7
eye
oculus -ī — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 3, 9, 16, 26
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Facies · Os · Vultus · Oculi
Facies (from species) and oculi (from ὄκκος) denote the face and eyes only in a physical point of view, as the natural physiognomy and the organs of sight; but os and vultus with a moral reference, as making known the temporary, and even the habitual state of the mind by the looks and eyes; os (from ὄθομαι), by the glance of the eye, and the corresponding expression of the mouth; vultus (from ἑλικτός), by the motion of the eye, and the simultaneous expression of the parts nearest to it, the serene and the darkened brow. Tac. Agr. 44. Nihil metus in vultu; gratia oris supererat. (iv. 318.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | oculus | oculī oclī |
| genitive | oculī oclī | oculōrum oclōrum |
| dative | oculō oclō | oculīs oclīs |
| accusative | oculum oclum | oculōs oclōs |
| ablative | oculō oclō | oculīs oclīs |
| vocative | ocule ocle | oculī oclī |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- oculos circumferre
- to look in every direction.
- oculis privare aliquem
- to deprive a person of his eyes.
- oculos, lumina amittere
- to lose one's sight.
- in oculis aliquem ferre
- to cherish as the apple of one's eye.
- res quas oculis cernimus
- the world of sense, the visible world.
- oculos operire (morienti)
- to close the eyes of a dying person.
- oculos conicere in aliquem
- to turn one's gaze on; to regard.
- aliquis est mihi in oculis
- to cherish as the apple of one's eye.
22 more phrases
- ante oculos ponere aliquid
- to bring a thing vividly before the eyes.
- ante oculos aliquid versatur
- something presents itself to my vision.
- oculis mentis videre aliquid
- to see with the mind's eye.
- oculi in vultu alicuius habitant
- his eyes are always fixed on some one's face.
- oculos tollere, attollere ad caelum
- to raise the eyes to heaven; to look up to the sky.
- oculos figere in terra and in terram
- to keep one's eyes on the ground.
- perlustrare, lustrare oculis aliquid
- to scrutinise, examine closely.
- oculos deicere, removere ab aliqua re
- to turn one's gaze away from an object.
- abire ex oculis, e conspectu alicuius
- to go out of sight, disappear.
- neque auribus neque oculis satis consto
- I am losing my eyesight and getting deaf.
- omnium oculos (et ora) ad se convertere
- to draw every one's eyes upon one.
- somnum oculis meis non vidi (Fam. 7. 30)
- I haven't had a wink of sleep.
- in omnes partes aciem (oculorum) intendere
- to gaze intently all around.
- oculos (aures, animum) advertere ad aliquid
- to turn one's eyes (ears, attention) towards an object.
- oculis, ante oculos (animo) proponere aliquid
- to picture a thing to oneself; to imagine.
- sub sensum or sub oculos, sub aspectum cadere
- to come within the sphere of the senses.
- oculis or sub oculos, sub aspectum subicere aliquid
- to represent a thing vividly.
- ante oculos vestros (not vobis) res gestas proponite
- picture to yourselves the circumstances.
- res sensibus or oculis subiectae (De Fin. 5. 12. 36)
- the world of sense, the visible world.
- oculos pascere aliqua re (also simply pasci aliqua re)
- to feast one's eyes with the sight of...
- oculorum aciem alicui praestringere (also simply praestringere)
- to dazzle a person.
- oculis captum esse (vid. sect. IV. 6., note auribus, oculis...)
- to be blind.
ŏcŭlus (sync. oclus, Prud. στεφ. 10, 592 dub.), i, m. kindr. with Sanscr. akshi and aksha, from the root ītsh, videre; Gr. ὄσσομαι, ὄσσε; Goth. augō; Germ. Auge; Engl. eye,
I. an eye.
I. Lit.:
quae (natura) primum oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit ... sed lubricos oculos fecit et mobiles, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142; cf. Cels. 7, 7, 13; Plin. 11, 37, 52, § 139 sq.; Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 221: venusti, id. Tusc. 5, 16, 46: eminentes, prominent, id. Vatin. 2, 4: oculi tanquam speculatores, id. N. D. 2, 57, 140: acuti, id. Planc. 27, 69: maligni, Verg. A. 5, 654: minaces, Luc. 2, 26: oculos conicere in aliquem, to cast or fix one's eyes upon, Cic. Clu. 19, 54: oculos conjecit in hostem, Verg. A. 12, 483: adicere alicui rei, to cast one's eyes upon, glance at: ad eorum ne quem oculos adiciat suos, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 24; to covet, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 15, § 37: adicere ad rem aliquam, id. Agr. 2, 10, 25: de aliquo nusquam deicere, to never turn one's eyes away from, to regard with fixed attention, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15, § 33: deicere ab aliquā re, to turn away, id. Phil. 1, 1, 1: in terram figere, to fix one's eyes upon the ground, Tac. H. 4, 72: deicere in terram, to cast down to, Quint. 1, 11, 9: demittere, Ov. M. 15, 612: erigere, id. ib. 4, 146: attollere. Verg. A. 4, 688; Ov. M. 2, 448: circumferre, id. ib. 6, 169: premere, Verg. A. 9, 487: deponere, to fix, Hor C. 1, 36, 18: distorquere, id. S. 1, 9, 65: spargere, to direct hither and thither, Pers. 5, 33: oculis cernere, to see with one's own eyes, Nep. Timol. 2, 2: oculos auferre spectanti, to blind the eyes of an observer, to cheat him before his eyes, Liv. 6, 15 fin.: ponere sibi aliquid ante oculos. i. e. to imagine to one's self any thing, Cic. Agr. 2, 20, 53: proponere oculis suis aliquid, id. Sest. 7, 17: esse ante oculos, to be before one's eyes, id. Lael. 11, 38: res posita in oculis, and ante oculos, that lies before one's eyes, is apparent, evident: de rebus ante oculos positis, id. Ac. 1, 2, 5: omnia sunt enim posita ante oculos, id. de Or. 1, 43, 192: inque meis oculis candida Delos erat, before my eyes, Ov. H. 21, 82: vivere in oculis, habitare in oculis, to live in the sight of, in the presence of, in intercourse with: in maximā celebritate atque in oculis civium quondam viximus, Cic. Off. 3, 1, 3: habitavi in oculis, id. Planc. 27, 66; cf.: in foro palam Syracusis in ore atque in oculis provinciae, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 33, § 81; Liv. 22, 12; 35, 10; Tac. H. 4, 77: habere in oculis, to keep in sight, to watch, observe, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 66: in oculis omnium submergi, Curt. 9, 4, 11: se ante oculos suos trucidari sinerent, Liv. 2, 6, 2; 4, 14, 5; Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: ab oculis alicujus abire (ire), to leave one's presence: Abin' hinc ab oculis? Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 147; id. Truc. 2, 5, 24; Sen. Ep. 36, 10; cf.: ab oculis recedere, Plin. Ep. 2, 1, 11: ab oculis concedere, Cic. Cat. 1, 7, 17: (angues) conspecti repente ex oculis abierunt, out of sight, Liv. 25, 16, 2: prodigii species ex oculis elapsa, id. 26, 19, 7: (avem) ablatam ex oculis, Tac. H. 2, 50: facesserent propere ex urbe ab ore atque oculis populi Romani, Liv. 6, 17, 8: sub oculis alicujus, before a person's eyes, in his presence, Caes. B. C. 1, 71; Vell. 2, 79, 4: sub oculis domini esse, Col. 9, 5, 2: quos honores sub oculis tuis gessit, Plin. Ep. 10, 11, 2: sub avi oculis necari, Just. 1, 4, 5; Flor. 4, 7, 8: hostes sub oculis erant, Liv. 22, 14, 3; 26, 38, 9: sub oculis Caesaris, Tac. A. 2, 35: hunc oculis suis nostrarum numquam quisquam vidit, with his own eyes, i. e. actually, in person, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 10: numquam ante hunc diem meis oculis eam videram, id. Hec. 5, 4, 23: ad oculum, for display, to be seen: non ad oculum servientes, Vulg. Eph. 1, 18; id. Col. 3, 22.—As a term of endearment, the apple of my eye, my darling: ubi isti sunt quibus vos oculi estis, quibus vitae estis, quibus deliciae? Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 46: bene vale, ocule mi! id. Curc. 1, 3, 47 —Hence, in a double sense: par oculorum in amicitiā M. Antonii triumviri, Suet. Rhet. 5.—The ancients swore by their eyes: si voltis per oculos jurare, nihilo magis facietis, Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 1.—B. Transf.
1. The power of seeing, sight, vision: ut eum quoque oculum, quo bene videret, amitteret, lost, i. e. became blind, Cic. Div. 1, 24, 48:
oculos perdere, id. Har. Resp. 18, 37: restituere alicui, Suet. Vesp. 7; cf.: oculis usurpare rem, i. e. see, Lucr. 1, 301.—2. A luminary, said of the sun and stars (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): mundi oculus. i. e. the sun, Ov. M. 4, 228:
stellarum oculi, Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10.—3. A spot resembling an eye, as on a panther's hide, a peacock's tail, etc., Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 62:
pavonum caudae, id. 13, 15, 30, § 96. —So arch. t. t.: oculus volutae, Vitr. 3, 5. —4. Of plants.
a. An eye, bud, bourgeon: oculos imponere, i. e. to bud, inoculate, Verg. G. 2, 73:
gemmans, Col. 4, 24, 16.— b. A bulb or knob on many roots, on the reed, etc.:
harundinis, Cato, R. R. 6, 3; Varr. R. R. 1, 24, 3: seritur harundo bulbo radicis, quem alii oculum vocant, Plin. 17, 20, 33, § 144.—c. A plant, called also aizoum majus, Plin. 25, 13, 102, § 160. —
II. Trop.
A. A principal ornament: hi duo illos oculos orae maritimae effoderunt (Corinth and Carthage), Cic. N. D. 3, 38, 91:
ex duobus Graeciae oculis, i. e. Athens and Sparta, Just. 5, 8, 4.—B. The eye of the soul, the mind's eye:
eloquentiam quam nullis nisi mentis oculis videre possumus, Cic. Or. 29, 101: acrioribus mentis oculis intueri, Col. 3, 8, 1: oculos pascere re aliquā, to feast one's eyes on any thing, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 26, § 65; cf.: concupiscentia oculorum, Vulg. 1 Joh. 2, 16: fructum oculis (dat.) capere ex aliquā re, Nep. Eum. 11, 2: oculi dolent, the eyes ache, i. e. one is afflicted by something seen, Ter. Ph. 5, 8, 64; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 14, 1; cf.: pietas, pater, oculis dolorem prohibet, i. e. forbids me to take offence, Plaut. As. 5, 1, 4: in oculis, in the eye, i. e. in view, hoped or expected: frumenti spes, quae in oculis fuerat, utrosque frustrata pariter, Liv. 26, 39, 23: acies et arma in oculis erant, Curt. 3, 6, 3: Philotae supplicium in oculis erat, id. 8, 6, 21: esse in oculis, to be beloved, esteemed, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 5: esse in oculis multitudinis, id. Tusc. 2, 26, 63: ferre, gestare in oculis, to love, esteem, value: oderat tum, cum, etc....jam fert in oculis, id. Phil. 6, 4, 11: rex te ergo in oculis, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 11: aequis oculis videre, i. e. contentedly, with satisfaction (like aequo animo), Curt. 8, 2, 9: ante oculos, in mind, in view: mors ante oculos debet esse, Sen. Ep. 12, 6; Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 6; also plain, obvious: simul est illud ante oculos, Cic. de Or. 2, 85, 349: sit ante oculos Nero, i. e. set him before you, consider him, Tac. H. 1, 16: ante oculos habere, to keep in mind (post-class.): habe ante oculos hanc esse terram, Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 4: mortalitatem, id. ib. 2, 10, 4; Just. 5, 6, 1; for which (late Lat.) prae oculis: prae oculis habere terrorem futuri judicii, Greg. M. Ep. 2, 48; 3, 27 al.: nec jam fas ullum prae oculis habent, Amm. 30, 4, 18: ob oculos versari, to be before the mind, etc.: mors (ei) ob oculos versatur, Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 39; Liv. 28, 19, 14; cf.: usu versatur ante oculos vobis Glaucia, Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 98; id. Fin. 2, 22, 75; 5, 1, 3; id. Dom. 55, 141; Liv. 34, 36, 6: ponere aliquid ante oculos, to call up in mind, imagine, etc.: eā (translatione) utimur rei ante oculos ponendae causā, Auct. Her. 4, 34, 45: ora eorum ponite vobis ante oculos, Cic. Phil. 13, 2, 4: calamitatem Cottae sibi ante oculos ponunt, Caes. B. G. 6, 37: exsilium Cn. Marci sibi proponunt ante oculos, Liv. 2, 54, 6: conjurationem ante oculos ponere, id. 24, 24, 8: studia eorum vobis ante oculos proponere, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48; rarely: constituere sibi aliquid ante oculos, Cic. Cael. 32, 79; Aug. Serm. 233, 3: ante oculos ponere (proponere), with ellips. of dat. of person, Cic. Marc. 2, 5; id. Deiot. 7, 20; id. Phil. 2, 45, 115; 11, 3, 7; id. N. D. 1, 41, 114: nec a re publicā deiciebam oculos, id. Phil. 1, 1, 1.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
oculus ī, m
2 AC-, an eye: (lacrimulam) oculos terendo expresserit, T.: magis te quam oculos amo meos, T.: eminentes, prominent: oculi tamquam speculatores: maligni, V.: oculi in Oppianicum coniciebantur, were turned: adiectum esse oculum hereditati, his eye was on: ad omnia vestra oculos adicere: oculos de isto nusquam deicere, regard with fixed attention: demittere, O.: attollere, V.: circumferre, O.: premere, V.: deponere, to fix, H.: oculis somno coniventibus: unguibus illi in oculos involare, fly at, T.: quod ante oculos est, is in full view: ne abstuleritis observantibus etiam oculos, cheat out of their eyes, L.: in oculis civium vivere, in public: in oculis omnium submergi, Cu.: ab oculis concedere: ex oculis abire, out of sight, L.: facesserent ex urbe ab oculis populi R., L.: sub oculis accepto detrimento, in (Caesar's) presence, Cs.: eum quoque oculum, quo bene videret, amittere, lost the sight of: altero oculo capitur, becomes blind of one eye, L.—A luminary: mundi oculus, the sun, O.—In plants, an eye, bud, bourgeon: oculos imponere, inoculate, V.—Fig., a principal ornament: duo illos oculos orae maritimae effoderunt, i. e. Corinth and Carthage.—The eye of the soul, mind's eye: eius cru<*>iatu pascere oculos, feast one's eyes: fructum oculis ex eius casu capere, delight their eyes, N.: tuo viro oculi dolent, i. e. he is afflicted, T.: acies et arma in oculis erant, in view, Cu.: si in oculis sis multitudinis, are belo<*>ed by: oderat tum. cum . . . iam fert in oculis, values highly: rex te ergo in oculis gestare? held dear, T.: aequis oculis videre, i. e. contentedly, Cu.: simul est illud ante oculos, obvious: mors (ei) ob oculos versatur, is in view: ora eorum ponite vobis ante oculos, picture to yourselves: pone illum ante oculos diem, fix your thoughts on: nec a re p. deiciebam oculos, lose sight of.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin oculus De Vaan reconstructs Proto-Italic *okʷ(e)los m or *okʷ(e)lom n, ultimately from an uncertain descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃ekʷ- (“to see; eye”) suffixed with -ulus (from Proto-Italic *-elos, from Proto-Indo-European *-lós). Witczak 2021 argues it was originally a neuter diminutive, whereas Sen 2015 sees it as an agent noun formation. Compare the gender of the cognates Sanskrit अक्षि n (ákṣi, “eye”) and Ancient Greek ὄσσε n (ósse, “eyes”) and ὤψ f (ṓps, “eye”). If the noun was originally neuter, then the masculine nominative singular oculus may be a back-formation from an original neuter dual form oculī (reinterpreted as a masculine nominative plural), as proposed by Alan Nussbaum. For other survivals of the second-declension neuter dual ending, see also the masculine-like plurals of caelum (“sky”), frēnum (“bridle”), and rāstrum (“rake”).
Elsewhere
- Catalanòcul
- Englishoculus
- EnglishOculi
- Frenchoculus
- Romanianoculusfrom French oculus
- GermanOculus
- GermanOkuli
- Italianoculo
- Portugueseóculo
- Portugueseóculos
Insular Romance
- Sardinianogru
- Sardinianogu
- Sardinianoju
- Sardinianogiu
- Sardinianociu
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italianocchio
- Englishocchiofrom Italian occhio
- Sassareseoccifrom Corsican ochju
- Dalmatianuaclo
- Dalmatianvaclo
- Istriotuocio
- Judeo-Italianאוּקֵילוֹ
- Tarantinouècchijefrom Neapolitan uocchio
- Sicilianocchiu
- Venetanocio
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalanull
- Occitanuèlhfrom Old Occitan olh
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseolhofrom Old Galician-Portuguese olho
- Spanishojofrom Old Spanish ojo
- Aragoneseuello
- Mozarabicולויש
- Falaollufrom Old Galician-Portuguese olho
- Galicianollofrom Old Galician-Portuguese olho
- Asturiangüeyufrom Old Leonese oyo
- Leonesegueyufrom Old Leonese oyo
- Mirandeseuolhofrom Old Leonese oyo
- Ladinoojofrom Old Spanish ojo
Balkano-Romance
- Romanianochi
- Aromanianoclju
- Istro-Romanianocľu
- Megleno-Romanianuocľu
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friulianvoli
- Ladinuedl
- Romanshegl
- Romanshîgl
- Romanshîl
- Romanshögl
Gallo-Italic
- Emilianòc'
- Emilianòć
- Ligurianéuggio
- Ligurianéuglio
- Ligurianéujo
- Lombardoeugg
- Lombardoeugl
- Piedmonteseeucc
- Piedmonteseeuj
- Romagnolòcc
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Franco-Provençaluely
- Old Frenchueil