pineal eye
noun
an eyelike structure that develops from the pineal apparatus in certain cold-blooded vertebrates.
Also called
third eye.
Origin of pineal eye
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby pineal eye
pine tree state,
pine warbler,
pineal,
pineal apparatus,
pineal body,
pineal eye,
pineal gland,
pineal stalk,
pinealectomy,
pinealocyte,
pinealoma
British Dictionary definitions for pineal eye
pineal eye
noun
an outgrowth of the pineal gland that forms an eyelike structure on the top of the head in certain cold-blooded vertebrates
Scientific definitions for pineal eye
pineal eye
[ pĭn′ē-əl, pī′nē-əl ]
A sensory structure capable of light reception, appearing as a spot on the top of the head in lampreys, hagfish, amphibians, and some reptiles, especially the tuatara. Pineal eyes can contain a rudimentary cornea, lens, cone cells, and retina, and are thought to be sensitive to light and dark but not to be able to form images.