What does "collyrium" mean?

A lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes; an eye-salve.

What is a synonym for "collyrium"?

Common synonyms include: balm, balsam, cold cream, cream, demulcent, emollient.

Pronounced //kəˈlɪɹɪəm//.

//kəˈlɪɹɪəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes; an eye-salve. countable, uncountable
"Democritus' collyrium is not so sovereign to the eyes as this is to the heart […]"
2
lotion consisting of a solution used as a cleanser for the eyes wordnet
3
Loosely, any product applied to or around the eyes; kohl. countable, uncountable
"[…] there were rings of collyrium about her eyes."

"Democritus' collyrium is not so sovereign to the eyes as this is to the heart […]"

From Latin collȳrium, from Ancient Greek κολλύριον (kollúrion, “poultice”). Doublet of koulouri.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.