saccade
Definitions
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. A rapid, jerky movement of the eyes between positions of rest.
- n. In the manege, a violent check of a horse by drawing or twitching the reins suddenly and with one pull.
- n. In violin-playing, a firm pressure of the bow on the strings, which crowds them down so that two or three can be sounded at once.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Examples
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A question that has plagued scientists for years, however, is why we don't notice this saccade. Why is it that when you look from one eye to the other in a mirror, for example, you don't notice your eyes move?
Anna Salleh, 'Time goes funny when your eyes move,' ABC Science, November 16, 2001
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The saccade is made by pressing the bow heavily and strongly upon the strings in performing a phrase in sequence, so that an accent is given to every note.
William Alexander Barrett, An introduction to form and instrumentation
Note
'Saccade' comes from the French word for 'twitch.'
