a. [ L. optabilis. ] That may be chosen; desirable. [ Obs. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. optatus, p. p. of optare. ] To choose; to wish for; to desire. [ Obs. ] Cotgrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. optatio. See Option. ] The act of optating; a wish. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. optativus: cf. F. optatif. ] Expressing desire or wish. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Optative mood (Gram.), that mood or form of a verb, as in Greek, Sanskrit, etc., in which a wish or desire is expressed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. optatif. ] 1. Something to be desired. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) The optative mood; also, a verb in the optative mood. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an optative manner; with the expression of desire. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

God blesseth man imperatively, and man blesseth God optatively. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Optic, a. ] 1. The organ of sight; an eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

The difference is as great between
The optics seeing, as the object seen. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An eyeglass. [ Obs. ] Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ F. optique, Gr. 'optiko`s; akin to 'o`psis sight, 'o`pwpa I have seen, 'o`psomai I shall see, and to 'o`sse the two eyes, 'o`ps face, L. oculus eye. See Ocular, Eye, and cf. Canopy, Ophthalmia. ] 1. Of, pertaining to, or using vision or sight; as, optical illusions. [ wns=2 ]
Syn. -- ocular, optic, visual. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

The moon, whose orb
Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to the eye; ocular; as, the optic nerves (the first pair of cranial nerves) which are distributed to the retina; the optic (or optical) axis of the eye. See Illust. of Brain, and Eye. [ wns=3 ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Relating to the science of optics or to devices designed to assist vision; as, optical works; optical equipment. [ wns=1 ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Optic angle (Opt.), the angle included between the optic axes of the two eyes when directed to the same point; -- sometimes called binocular parallax. --
Optic axis. (Opt.) (a) A line drawn through the center of the eye perpendicular to its anterior and posterior surfaces. In a normal eye it is in the direction of the optic axis that objects are most distinctly seen. (b) The line in a doubly refracting crystal, in the direction of which no double refraction occurs. A uniaxial crystal has one such line, a biaxial crystal has two. --
Optical circle (Opt.), a graduated circle used for the measurement of angles in optical experiments. --
Optical square, a surveyor's instrument with reflectors for laying off right angles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) the ability of a chemical compound to rotate the plane of plane-polarized light. This is found only in chemicals whose molecular structure does not have a plane of symmetry, and is common in biochemical compounds. -- optically active adj. [ PJC ]

n. (Communications) a cable containing multiple optical fibers. [ PJC ]