Eyelids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pair of movable folds of skin that cover and protect the eyes while also assisting in moisture retention
2. The thin layers of tissue that can open and close to shield the eyeball from light and foreign particles
3. Protective features of the eyes that can blink to help keep the surface of the eye lubricated and clear of irritants

Etymology: "Eyelids" is the plural of "eyelid," and the singular is simply a compound of "eye" and "lid." Its ancestor was a Proto-West Germanic form, "augahlid," built from the same two elements, so the word has been assembled from plain parts for well over a thousand years. The "lid" half is the one worth noticing: it is the same word that gives us the cover of a box or pot, reflecting the idea of a flap that closes over an opening. Before "eyelid" took hold in Middle English, the Latin "palpebra" was in use, and it survives in modern English as a technical term. The native compound replaced it in ordinary speech, so the everyday word is the older Germanic building block rather than the classical import.

Synonyms: lids, palpebrae