Eyebrows

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈaɪˌbɹaʊz/

Definitions

1. Hair strands located above the eyes that shape facial expressions and contribute to one’s overall appearance
2. Curved lines of hair positioned over the eyes, playing a key role in nonverbal communication and aesthetics
3. The pairs of hair that grow on the ridge above each eye, framing the face and assisting in expression

Etymology: This is the plural of "eyebrow", and the singular has an interesting slip in its history: the Old English "ēagbrǣw" originally meant "eyelid", not the hairy arch above the eye. The brow part is the older, more general word for the forehead or the ridge above the eyes, while "eye" supplied the specific reference point. Over time the compound drifted. The Old English form "ēaganbrū" shows the eye and brow elements joined together, and Middle English softened it further into "eȝebreu", with the final sound eventually settling into the modern spelling. Dutch "oogbrauw" and German "Augenbraue" still carry the same mixture of meanings, with the Dutch word even covering eyelashes, which suggests how loosely the early Germanic speakers grouped the features around the eye.

Synonyms: brows, forehead hair