retina

[ ret-n-uh, ret-nuh ]

noun,plural ret·i·nas, ret·i·nae [ret-n-ee]. /ˈrɛt nˌi/. Anatomy.
  1. the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens, is continuous with the optic nerve, and consists of several layers, one of which contains the rods and cones that are sensitive to light.

Trademark, Computers.
  1. Retina, a brand name used by Apple, Inc., to describe display screens having a resolution so high that it is difficult to see individual pixels with the human eye: a Retina display; Retina technology; Retina quality.

Origin of retina

1
1350–1400; Middle English ret(h)ina<Medieval Latin rētina, perhaps equivalent to Latin rēt- (stem of rēte) net + -ina-ine1

Words Nearby retina

Other definitions for Retin-A (2 of 2)

Retin-A
[ ret-n-ey ]

Pharmacology, Trademark.
  1. a brand of tretinoin, used especially to reduce wrinkles caused by overexposure to the sun.

Origin of Retin-A

2
First recorded in 1975–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use retina in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retina

retina

/ (ˈrɛtɪnə) /


nounplural -nas or -nae (-ˌniː)
  1. the light-sensitive membrane forming the inner lining of the posterior wall of the eyeball, composed largely of a specialized terminal expansion of the optic nerve. Images focused here by the lens of the eye are transmitted to the brain as nerve impulses

Origin of retina

1
C14: from Medieval Latin, perhaps from Latin rēte net

Derived forms of retina

  • retinal, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for retina

retina

[ rĕtn-ə ]


Plural retinas retinae (rĕtn-ē′)
  1. The light-sensitive membrane that lines the inside of the back of the eyeball and connects to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina of vertebrate animals contains rods and cones, specialized cells that absorb light.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for retina

retina

[ (ret-n-uh) ]


The inner layer of the eye, sensitive to light, that is connected to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina lines the rear of the eye-ball. The lens of the eye focuses waves of light on the retina.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.