Collyrie

/ˈkɒləri/ noun

Definition

An archaic or variant term for an eye salve or medicinal preparation for the eyes.

Etymology

Variant spelling of 'collyrium', from Latin, derived ultimately from Greek 'kollyrion'. This form reflects the linguistic variations common in medieval and early modern medical literature.

Kelly Says

Medieval apothecaries would have written recipes for collyrie using ingredients from their gardens and shops—it was pharmaceutical chemistry before we had chemistry!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.