Meanings
nounmusca volitans (plural muscae volitantes)
plural muscae volitantes
- floater (threadlike speck in the visual field)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounspots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From a Latin phrase meaning "a fly (musca) flying around (volitans)".
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
musca volitans. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musca%20volitans
MLA
“musca volitans.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musca%20volitans. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “musca volitans,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musca%20volitans.
Source: musca volitans on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.