Plural of eyestring; multiple string-like structures thought to connect to or be part of the eye.
From 'eye' + 'string' (plural -s). The plural of a folk anatomical term for features of eye structure.
Though anatomically inaccurate, the term 'eyestrings' shows that people were trying to make sense of organs they couldn't see—our drive to understand our bodies is so strong that we'll invent explanations, and often they stick around in language long after we know better.
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