ocellation

English

Etymology

From Latin ocellus (“little eye”), from oculus (“eye”) + -ation.

Noun

ocellation (countable and uncountable, plural ocellations)

1. (uncountable) The development of eye-like markings, such as those on the wing of a butterfly or tail of a peacock.
   • 1993, Roger L. H. Dennis, Butterflies and Climate Change, →ISBN, page 131:

     In Pararge aegeria, increased dorsal hindwing ocellation (i.e., four spots) occurs in mid-summer (Parker, 1984; Shreeve, 1987).

   • 1997, Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle, Loyola's Acts: The Rhetoric of the Self, →ISBN, page 111:

     This feature is the ocellation of the tail feathers of the male of the species, whose brilliant plumage earned its reputation since antiquity as the most beautiful of all birds.

2. (countable) An eye-like marking; ocellus.
   • 2016, Michel Serres, The Five Senses: A Philosophy of Mingled Bodies, →ISBN:

     All that is left of the omnidirectional ball of intense eyes is the dual colour of the ocellations and the brilliant pattern they make, a fascinating, silky fan.