Message-ID: <1783747.1075858927549.JavaMail.evans@thyme>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 02:02:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: wsmith@wordsmith.org
To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ocellus
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-From: Wordsmith  <wsmith@wordsmith.org>
X-To: linguaphile <linguaphile@wordsmith.org>
X-cc: 
X-bcc: 
X-Folder: \SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged)\Scott, Susan M.\Wordsmith
X-Origin: Scott-S
X-FileName: SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged).pst

ocellus (o-SEL-uhs) noun, plural ocelli

   1. A small simple eye common to invertebrates.

   2. An eyelike colored spot on an animal (as on peacock feathers,
      butterfly wings, fish, etc.) or on a leaf of a plant.

[Latin ocellus, little eye, diminutive of oculus, eye.]

   "The sarcastic fringehead is an extremely territorial fish found along
   the Pacific Coast from San Francisco Bay to Baja California ... The ocelli
   on their dorsal fins are metallic blue, surrounded by a golden ring."
   The Kids' Reading Room, The Los Angeles Times, Jul 18, 2000.

This week's theme: words to describe odds and ends.

............................................................................
Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of
his character. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

Feeling information overload? Sign off a few mailing lists. If you wish
to unsubscribe from AWAD, send a blank message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with
the word unsubscribe in the subject line of your message. Of course, we'd
rather you stay with us. After all, it is only a `word' a day. (-:

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/ocellus.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/ocellus.ram