ŏcellus (noun M) : dim.oculus
* A little eye, eyelet (mostly poet.).
* Lit.: blanda quies furtim victis obrepsit ocellis,Ov. F. 3, 19: ut in ocellis hilaritudo est!Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 8: turgiduli,Cat. 3, 17: ebrii,id. 43, 11: irati,Ov. Am. 2, 8, 15: acre malum semper stillantis ocelli,Juv. 6, 109: si prurit frictus ocelli angulus,id. 6, 578.—As a term of endearment: ocelle mi!my little eye! my darling!Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 18: aureus,id. As. 3, 3, 101: jucundissimus meus, Aug. ap. Gell. 15, 7, 3: cave despuas, ocelle,Cat. 50, 19.—So of things, like our apple of the eye: cur ocellos Italiae, villulas meas, non vides?Cic. Att. 16, 6, 2: insularum,Cat. 31, 1.
* Transf., a bulb or knob on the roots of the reed (called also oculus), Plin. 21, 4, 10, § 20.

s. TLL