eyelid

noun

eye·​lid ˈī-ˌlid How to pronounce eyelid (audio)
: either of the movable folds of skin and muscle that can be closed over the eyeball

Examples of eyelid in a Sentence

the upper eyelid of the left eye
Recent Examples on the Web Melanoma of the eye can occur in different parts of the eye, including the uvea, iris, ciliary body, conjunctiva, and eyelids. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 At first glance, dehydrated skin might appear more dull, fine lines and wrinkles might be more pronounced and lips and eyelids might be chapped. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 The final step consisted of more extensive prosthetics — for the top of the head, forehead, eyelids, nose, lips and chin, cheeks, neck, back of the neck, shoulders, earlobes, hands and arms. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024 With Justine Skye, on the other hand, glitter was more subdued with two specks on otherwise neutral eyelids. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 29 Jan. 2024 The new species was identified by its eyelids, reproduction method, scale pattern and DNA, the study said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024 As one mother nodded off, her eyelids heavy after giving birth less than two weeks earlier, a nurse came in and whisked her baby away. Lauretta Charlton, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2024 Thankfully, this gentle, oil-free gel gets the job done in one fell swoop, removing all the makeup from your eyelids and eyelashes—no matter how waterproof. Iman Balagam, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2024 Half her nose, her eyelids had been ripped from the bone and had moved sideways. Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eyelid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eyelid was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near eyelid

Cite this Entry

“Eyelid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyelid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eyelid

noun
eye·​lid ˈī-ˌlid How to pronounce eyelid (audio)
: one of the movable lids of skin and muscle that can be closed over the eyeball

Medical Definition

eyelid

noun
eye·​lid ˈī-ˌlid How to pronounce eyelid (audio)
: either of the movable lids of skin and muscle that can be closed over the eyeball

called also palpebra

More from Merriam-Webster on eyelid

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