lens of the eye
- noun
- /lɛnz əv ði aɪ/
- Cataracts are a common condition that occurs when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, leading to blurred vision.
- the lens of the eye and retina
- natural lens of the eye
Examples
-
The fiber-optic probe shines low-power laser light into the lens of the eye; the scattering of light due to abnormalities in the lens is recorded for later analysis.
Academic text (2009) -
An ophthalmologist examines the lens of the eye to check for any signs of damage or disease.
-
The lens of the eye helps focus light onto the retina, enabling us to see clearly.
Synonyms
A clear curved piece of glass or plastic that focuses light
A clear curved part behind the colored part of the eye that focuses light onto the back of the eye
How Complex
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'lens' (a transparent device that focuses light) with 'of the eye' (indicating the lens belonging to or located in the eye), so the referent as the eye's focusing structure is compositional. This is a standard partitive/possessive noun-of-noun construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should understand it.
Etymology
Lens of the eye comes from the word lens, which originally named a small piece of glass that bends light. The eye's lens is a clear, curved part that 'focuses' light onto the back of the eye, so the phrase means the part that helps you see.