stye

Meanings

1. A bacterial infection in the eyelash or eyelid.

1. Alternative form of sty (“shelter for pigs”).

Etymology

First recorded in the 17th century; probably a back-formation from Middle English styanye (first recorded in the 15th century), which in turn comes from Old English stīgend (“a small tumour on the edge of the eyelid, stye”), from the verb stīgan (“to climb, ascend, rise”) + Middle English eie (“eye”). Equivalent to sty + eye.