collyrium

noun

col·​lyr·​i·​um kə-ˈlir-ē-əm How to pronounce collyrium (audio)
plural collyria kə-ˈlir-ē-ə How to pronounce collyrium (audio) or collyriums
: eyewash sense 1

Word History

Etymology

Middle English collirium, from Latin collyrium, from Greek kollyrion pessary, eye salve, from diminutive of kollyra roll of bread

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collyrium was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near collyrium

Collyridian

collyrium

collywobbles

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Collyrium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collyrium. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

collyrium

noun
col·​lyr·​i·​um kə-ˈlir-ē-əm How to pronounce collyrium (audio)
plural collyria -ē-ə How to pronounce collyrium (audio) or collyriums
: an eye lotion : eyewash
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
collage with pinking shears decanter bustle sculling on a purple background
Name That Thing MegaQuiz: Vol. 5 Test your visual vocabulary!