papilla /pəpil″ə/ pl. papillae [L, nipple] , 1. a small nipple-shaped projection, such as the conoid papillae of the tongue and the papillae of the dermis that extend from collagen fibers, the capillary blood vessels, and sometimes the nerves of the dermis. 2. the optic papilla, a round white disc in the fundus oculi, which corresponds to the entrance of the optic nerve. Also called optic disc.
