hordeolum

H4O1R1D2E1O1L1U1M3

noun

stye, sty. An infection of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid. This is distinguished from a chalazion, which is not infected, but a cyst formed from an impacted meibomian gland of the eyelid.

Similar
stystyeeye infection
OriginLatin hordeolus →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounhordeolum (plural hordeola)

plural hordeola

  1. stye, sty. An infection of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid. This is distinguished from a chalazion, which is not infected, but a cyst formed from an impacted meibomian gland of the eyelid.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid

Similar
stystyeeye infection
Broader
infection
Also see
stystye

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinhordeolus
  2. Englishhordeolum

Borrowed from Latin hordeolus, diminutive from hordeum (“barley”) + -olus, referring to its resemblance to a grain of barley in appearance and size.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hordeolum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hordeolum

MLA

“hordeolum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hordeolum. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hordeolum,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hordeolum.

Source: hordeolum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.