ommatidium

English

Etymology

From the stem form of Ancient Greek ὄμμα (ómma, “eye”).

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɒməˈtɪdɪəm/
  • (Canada) IPA(key): /ɑməˈtɪdɪəm/

Noun

ommatidium (plural ommatidia)

  1. (zoology) One of the conical substructures which make up the eyes of invertebrates with compound eyes.
    • 1996, Michael J. Roberts, Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe, Collins, published 1996, page 12:
      The ‘compound’ eyes of insects [...] are made up of large numbers of facets or ommatidia, and in this sense, our own eyes are ‘simple’.

Translations

Latin

Pronunciation

Noun

ommatidium n (genitive ommatidiī or ommatidī); second declension

  1. ommatidium

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ommatidium ommatidia
Genitive ommatidiī
ommatidī1		 ommatidiōrum
Dative ommatidiō ommatidiīs
Accusative ommatidium ommatidia
Ablative ommatidiō ommatidiīs
Vocative ommatidium ommatidia

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

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