noun
sty
An inflamed swelling at the edge of an eyelid.
A small sty formed along her eyelid.
Etymology
Old English stīgend named the eyelid swelling. The modern word preserves that medical sense and is distinct from sty, a pig enclosure.
More examples
- The photograph showed a swollen sty near the lashes.
- He noticed a tender spot where the sty was developing.
- The clinician examined the sty on the upper lid.
Forms
sty · sties
Similar words
- chalazion
- A chalazion is a blocked eyelid gland’s swelling; a sty usually involves an inflamed gland near the lid edge.
- swelling
- Swelling is a general enlargement; sty identifies a particular inflamed bump at the eyelid.