An oculus, circular window, or "rain-hole" (Latin: compluvium) is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for attention with the major fenestration. Circular windows set in dormers have been a feature of French Classical architecture since the beginning of the seventeenth century. For structural reasons, they are also found as the portholes of ships.

Oculus (plural oculi) is the Latin word for eye, and the word remains in use in certain contexts, as the name of the round opening in the top of the dome of the Pantheon in Rome, and in reference to other round windows, openings, and skylights.

The Oculus in the Pantheon, Rome, has always been open to the weather, allowing rain to enter and fall to the floor, where it is carried away through drains. In the picture, right, sunlight streams through the opening and strikes the lower part of the dome. The bright opening and the surrounding smooth concrete above the coffering resembles an eye, giving the opening its name.

Karen Sheila Gillan (born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress and former model who is mostly known for her portrayal of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series Doctor Who.

Gillan was born and brought up in Inverness, Scotland. Her father, Raymond John Gillan, a Day Centre Manager, and mother, Marie Gillan née Paterson, live in Kinmylies. She learned to play the piano when she was seven. She has no brothers or sisters. At a young age, she developed a love for acting, joining several local youth theatre groups and taking part in a wide range of productions at her school, Charleston Academy. When she was sixteen, Gillan decided to use her interest in acting, studying at Edinburgh's Telford College. Later, she got a place at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts drama school in London on the BA (Hons) Acting degree course. Gillan moved to London when she was 18 to study at drama school.

Before Gillan became an actress, she was scouted by a modelling agency.

Gillan worked as a model in 2007's London Fashion Week for designer Allegra Hicks' autumn/winter catwalk show and the launch party of Nicola Roberts' Dainty Doll Make-Up Range. This was shown in Roberts' episode of the documentary, The Passions of Girls Aloud^{[citation needed]} which premiered on 4 April 2008. Gillan has said she wouldn't give up her acting career to return back to modelling. She stated that she enjoyed modelling but acting was always her main interest and goal.