Epicanthi

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A fold of tissue extending from the eyelid over the inner corner of the eye, prevalent in certain populations
2. a physical characteristic often associated with genetic traits among various ethnic groups
3. a feature that can influence the appearance of the eyes in terms of shape and size

Etymology: "Epicanthi" is the plural of "epicanthus", the fold of skin that covers the inner corner of the eye. The word is built from two Greek parts: "epi", meaning "on" or "upon", and "canthus", the corner of the eye. Together they describe a fold lying over the eye's corner, which is exactly what the anatomy shows. The plural "epicanthi" follows the Latin-style ending seen in many medical terms borrowed from Latin and Greek, which is why it keeps the "-i" rather than adding an English "-es". Writers using the Greek-derived form of the noun often find the plural ending the most noticeable feature of the word.