Chalazions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of localized swelling or lump that forms on the eyelid due to the blockage of a gland
2. Often caused by inflammation or an obstruction leading to a retention cyst
3. Typically painless, these growths can appear as small bumps and may require treatment if persistent

Etymology: Chalazions are the plural of "chalazion," a small, usually painless lump that forms when a gland in the eyelid becomes blocked. The name comes from the Greek "khalazion," a diminutive of "khalaza," meaning "hail." The comparison is to a hailstone: the swelling is a small, hard, round bump under the skin of the eyelid, roughly the size and feel of a pellet of ice. The Greek word passed into Late Latin as "chalazion," and medical writers carried it into the scholarly vocabulary of Western Europe. Because it was a learned borrowing, it kept its classical Greek shape rather than being adapted into everyday English speech, which is why it still looks foreign to most readers.