Chalazion

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəˈleɪzi.ən/

Definitions

1. A localized, non-tender swelling on the eyelid caused by the obstruction of a meibomian gland's duct
2. An eyelid cyst that forms from the accumulation of secretions in a blocked sebaceous gland
3. A swelling on the eyelid resulting from obstruction in an oil-secreting gland, forming a cyst-like nodule

Etymology: The Greek word "khálaza" meant "hail," the small pellets of ice that fall from storms. Greek physicians gave the name "khalázion" to a small, hard swelling on the eyelid, and the comparison is easy to see: a tiny, round lump under the skin looks like a hailstone pressed beneath the lid. The diminutive ending "-ion" marks it as a little version of the thing it resembles. The word passed into Late Latin as "chalazion," and from there it entered medical writing in English. Because it came through scholarly Latin rather than everyday speech, it stayed a technical term, used by doctors to name a specific kind of eyelid nodule rather than a general sore or stye.