Saccade
/səˈkɑːd/noun
A quick, sudden movement of the eyes from one point to another.
Did you know?Saccade entered English through French, where it originally meant a sudden jerk or tug, and today scientists still use it to describe the rapid eye-movements that let your brain “sample” the world in bursts.
Etymological Timeline
Late 17th Century
French
saccade
“A sudden jerk, jolt, or tug; later, a rapid eye movement”
18th Century
English
saccade
“Borrowed into English with the sense of a sudden jerking movement”
19th Century
English
saccade
“Adopted in physiology and ophthalmology for a quick, abrupt eye movement”
Latin
Latin
saccus
“A sack or bag”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sakkos
“A bag or sack, the source of the Latin word”