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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fovea

Fovea \Fo"ve*a\, n.; pl. Fove[ae]. [L., a small pit.] A slight depression or pit; a fossa.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
fovea

"depression or shallow pit in a surface," 1849, Latin, literally "small pit," related to favissae "underground reservoirs;" which is of unknown origin, perhaps from Etruscan. Related: Foveal; foveated.

Wiktionary
fovea

n. 1 (context anatomy English) A slight depression or pit in a bone or organ. 2 (context anatomy English) The retinal fovea, or fovea centralis, responsible for sharp central vision.

WordNet
fovea
  1. n. area consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most acute [syn: fovea centralis]

  2. [also: foveae (pl)]

Wikipedia
Fovea

Fovea (Latin for "pit"; plural foveae ) is a term in anatomy. It refers to a pit or depression in a structure.

In human anatomy, the term may refer to:

  • Fovea centralis of the retina
  • Fovea of the femoral head
  • Trochlear fovea of the frontal bone
  • Pterygoid fovea of the mandible neck

In spider anatomy, the term may refer to:

  • Fovea (spider), a depression in the centre of the carapace

Usage examples of "fovea".

When we look directly at a faint object-a star, say-we are using the fovea, the part of the retina with the greatest acuity and the greatest density of cells called cones.

When you look just above or below something, the images falls outside the fovea, on the periphery of the retina, where there are more rods than cones, giving you a much better view.

The optic nerve leaves the eyeball just to one side of the fovea and its point of exit is the one place in the retina where photo-receptors are completely absent.

When he looked directly at the screen, it was still there, though somewhat dimmed as its image moved off the fovea centralis of his retina.

Furthermore, in the very center of the macula lutea there is a small depression called the fovea centralis (foh'vee-uh sen-tray'lis.