stye

• IPA^(key): /ˈstaɪ/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophone: sty

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.

stye (plural styes)

1. (pathology) A bacterial infection in the eyelash or eyelid.

   have a stye

   suffer from a stye

• hordeolum, powk (dialect)

stye (plural styes)

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

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:stye.

• Tyes, etys, stey, teys, tyes, yest, yet's, yets

stye

1. Alternative form of sty (“path”)

stye

1. Alternative form of stie (“ladder”)