Vitreous Humor
/ˈvɪt.ri.əs ˈhjuː.mər/noun
The clear, gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens and retina of the eye.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin vitrum, meaning “glass,” because Roman and medieval writers described this eye gel as glass-clear—proof that anatomy once sounded like alchemy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wed-
“to water, wet”
Latin
Latin
vitrum
“glass; also the plant woad, used for blue dye”
Late Latin
Latin
vitreus
“made of glass; glassy, transparent”
Classical Latin
Latin
humor
“moisture, liquid, bodily fluid”
Middle English
English
vitr(e)ous humour
“the clear, glass-like fluid of the eye”
Modern English
English
vitreous humor
“the transparent gel filling the eyeball behind the lens”