Hordeola

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A localized, painful swelling on the eyelid caused by infection of an oil gland; a small, inflamed bump resembling a stye; a pustular lesion developing near the eyelash margin due to bacterial invasion
2. An acute infection producing a tender lump on the eyelid margin; a common eyelid inflammation resulting in redness and swelling; an eyelid disorder characterized by a painful nodule from blocked gland secretion
3. A painful, swollen bump on the eyelid arising from infected oil glands; an eyelid condition with redness and tenderness often mistaken for a pimple; an inflammation of eyelid glands causing a localized pustule or abscess

Etymology: "Hordeola" is the plural of "hordeolum", a stye on the eyelid. The Latin "hordeolus" was a diminutive of "hordeum", meaning barley, with the ending "-olus" added to mark something small. The name reflects the appearance of the swelling, which looks like a grain of barley in both shape and size. The plural form is what you will see in medical writing when more than one lump is involved, and it keeps the Latin ending of the singular. The word therefore carries the same image as its singular: a small, hard, pointed bump on the rim of the eyelid, named for a cereal grain.

Synonyms: styes, eye infection, eyelid bump, chalazion