What Does Oculus Mean? Medical Term for the Eye

Oculus – The Medical Term for “Eye”

Have you ever seen O.D. or O.S. on an eye prescription and wondered what they mean?
Today’s word — Oculus — explains it all.

👁 What Does “Oculus” Mean?

Oculus is a Latin word that means eye.

It appears frequently in terminology and patient records — especially in ophthalmology and optometry.
When you see abbreviations like O.D. or O.S. on a prescription or chart, they come from this word.


🔍 Clinical Usage

In Latin-based medical notation:

AbbreviationLatin TermEnglish Meaning
O.D.Oculus DexterRight eye
O.S.Oculus SinisterLeft eye
O.U.Oculus UterqueBoth eyes

You’ll often find Oculus and its abbreviations — O.D., O.S., and O.U. — in patient charts, prescriptions, and ophthalmology notes. They may also come up during eye examinations or training discussions with other healthcare professionals.

Example:

“Apply ointment to O.S. twice daily.” → Apply to the left eye twice a day.


🎥 Watch the Short Video

👉 Watch our 20-second clip: Oculus –Learn how to pronounce it.

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