Meanings
- archaicpluralplural of palpebra
The snake-like forms of the families of the Lacertilia Leptoglossa greatly predominate in the Southern Hemisphere; also those with undeveloped palpebræ.
1887, E. D. Cope, “Part I.—General Evolution”, “II. On the Origin of Genera”, in The Origin of the Fittest: Essays on Evolution, London, Macmillan and Co., and New York, page 1142 more examples
On reaching the internal angle of the palpebræ, the tears accumulate in the lacus lachrymalis, a small space formed between the edges of the palpebræ kept separated from each other by the caruncula lachrymalis.
1812, G. J. M. de Lys, transl., Elements of Physiology, 5th edition, London: Printed for Thomas Underwood, […], translation of original by A. Richerand, page 275Inflammation of the eye-lids is very commonly observed to attend some of the more violent forms of ophthalmia, and more particularly the purulent variety; but the disease of which we are now to treat is an idiopathic affection, and confined, or nearly so, to the palpebræ. / Symptoms.—It is most frequently witnessed in children, commonly attacking the palpebræ of only one eye, and the upper eye-lid is more considerably affected than the lower one.
1843, John Walker, “Chapter X. Diseases of the Eyelids”, in The Oculist’s Vade-Mecum: A Complete Practical System of Ophthalmic Surgery. […], London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. Manchester: Simms and Dinham, “Section I. Blepharitis Idiopathica, or Phlegmonous Inflammation of the Palpebræ, pages 368–369
Origin
- Latinpalpebrae
- Englishpalpebræ
From Latin palpebrae, plural of palpebra.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
palpebræ. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpebr%C3%A6
“palpebræ.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpebr%C3%A6. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palpebræ,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palpebr%C3%A6.
Source: palpebræ on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.