Phrase guide

optic chiasm

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The part of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the crossing of the optic nerves from the two eyes at the base of the brain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: optic chiasma, chiasma opticum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chiasma, chiasm, decussation

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 視交叉 /视交叉 (shìjiāochā) — part of the brain
  • Esperanto: opta kruciĝo — part of the brain
  • Esperanto: opta kiasmo — part of the brain
  • Finnish: näköhermoristi — part of the brain
  • French: chiasma optique — part of the brain
  • German: Sehnervenkreuzung — part of the brain
  • German: Sehnervkreuzung — part of the brain
  • German: Chiasma opticum — part of the brain
  • Greek: οπτικό χίασμα (optikó chíasma) — part of the brain
  • Hungarian: látóideg-kereszteződés — part of the brain
  • Italian: chiasmo ottico — part of the brain
  • Japanese: 視交叉 (shikōsa) — part of the brain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: synsnervekrysning — part of the brain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: chiasma opticum — part of the brain
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: synsnervekrysning — part of the brain
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: chiasma opticum — part of the brain
  • Polish: skrzyżowanie wzrokowe — part of the brain
  • Portuguese: quiasma óptico — part of the brain
  • Spanish: quiasma óptico — part of the brain
  • Swedish: synnervskorsning — part of the brain