cornea
noun
cor·nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə 
: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior see eye illustration
corneal
ˈkȯr-nē-əl
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Under the bill, an optometrist could perform a procedure called corneal crosslinking, which is used to treat keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea gradually bulges outward and distorts vision. 
Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 The 30-minute hydrogel procedure was also much faster than a typical cornea transplant, which can take several hours. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2022 Without these special facilities, a fresh donor cornea must be used within five to seven days. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 Then the blackness moves inward; its march can sometimes be halted, with treatment and surgeries, but an optic nerve—unlike a cornea or the heart or a femur—is irreplaceable. Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 An inflamed cornea was treated with caustic applications and the pain assuaged with opium. Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 The cornea in her surviving eye was pitted by the blast, causing a kind of distorted vision that can’t be fixed with glasses. Jerry Adler, Good Housekeeping, 14 July 2022 Pham has a rare eye condition, keratoconus, which affects his cornea and requires special contact lenses. Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 10 June 2022 This final symptom can be quite serious, as if the eye can't close fully then the surface of the eye will quickly dry out, leading to inflammation of the cornea. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 12 June 2022 See More
Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 The 30-minute hydrogel procedure was also much faster than a typical cornea transplant, which can take several hours. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2022 Without these special facilities, a fresh donor cornea must be used within five to seven days. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 Then the blackness moves inward; its march can sometimes be halted, with treatment and surgeries, but an optic nerve—unlike a cornea or the heart or a femur—is irreplaceable. Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 An inflamed cornea was treated with caustic applications and the pain assuaged with opium. Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 The cornea in her surviving eye was pitted by the blast, causing a kind of distorted vision that can’t be fixed with glasses. Jerry Adler, Good Housekeeping, 14 July 2022 Pham has a rare eye condition, keratoconus, which affects his cornea and requires special contact lenses. Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 10 June 2022 This final symptom can be quite serious, as if the eye can't close fully then the surface of the eye will quickly dry out, leading to inflammation of the cornea. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 12 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin (short for cornea tēla "horny web," cornea tunica "horny covering," translating Greek kerātoeidḕs chitṓn), from feminine of Latin corneus "horny" — more at corneous
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
cornea
noun
cor·nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə
: the transparent outer layer of the front of the eye covering the pupil and iris
Medical Definition
cornea
noun
cor·nea ˈkȯr-nē-ə
: the transparent part of the coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior