Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: 1  shimmer, play(verb) a weak and tremulous light. 2  shimmer(verb) shine with a weak or fitful light. 3  shimmer(verb) give off a shimmering reflection, as of silk.
Cats, like humans, have both rods and cones in the retina. Rods are the receptors that the eye uses for night time viewing and sudden movement. Cones are used during the daytime, and process color information. Cats have more rods than cones, as compared with humans, making cat night vision superior to humans.
Cones are packed into a part of the retina directly behind the retina called the fovea, which is responsible for sharp central vision. When light strikes either the rods or the cones of the retina, it's converted into an electric signal that is relayed to the brain via the optic nerve.