Meanings
nouncollyrium (countable and uncountable, plural collyria or collyriums)
plural collyria · plural collyriums
- countableuncountableA lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes; an eye-salve.
Democritus' collyrium is not so sovereign to the eyes as this is to the heart […]
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 6, subsection ii - countableuncountableLoosely, any product applied to or around the eyes; kohl.
[…] there were rings of collyrium about her eyes.
1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth, Duckworth, hardback edition, page 44
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκολλύριον“poultice”
- Latincollȳrium
- Englishcollyrium
From Latin collȳrium, from Ancient Greek κολλύριον (kollúrion, “poultice”). Doublet of koulouri.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with collyrium
Miriammycobacteriumbacteriumdeliriumimperiumdeuteriumcriteriumcorynebacteriumceriummagisteriumpuerperiumcyanobacteriumapteriumarchaebacteriumelateriumenterobacteriumferroceriummeitneriumosmeteriumpsalterium
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
collyrium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collyrium
MLA
“collyrium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collyrium. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “collyrium,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/collyrium.
Source: collyrium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.