eyebright

[ ahy-brahyt ]

/ ˈaɪˌbraɪt /

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noun

any of various plants belonging to the genus Euphrasia, of the figwort family, as E. officinalis of Europe, formerly used for treating diseases of the eye.

the scarlet pimpernel.See under pimpernel.

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Origin of eyebright

First recorded in 1525–35; eye + bright

Words nearby eyebright

eye bath, eyebeam, eyeblack, eyeblink, eyebolt, eyebright, eyebrow, eyebrow pencil, eye candy, eye-catcher, eye-catching

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use eyebright in a sentence

Mother Eyebright so was called both from the brightness of her eyes and her faith in that little simple flower, the euphrasia.
Frida, or, The Lover's Leap, A Legend Of The West Country|R. D. Blackmore
The Eyebright (p. 274) grows on heaths and downs, where it derives organic food from the roots of the neighbouring grasses.
Field and Woodland Plants|William S. Furneaux
"How funny she'd look, coming out of the coffee-mill, mewing and purring," said Eyebright.
Eyebright|Susan Coolidge
Don't you come here sometimes and play shipwreck and polar bears, Eyebright?
Eyebright|Susan Coolidge

You will all be shocked at this account, but I am not sorry to show Eyebright to you on one of her naughty days.
Eyebright|Susan Coolidge

British Dictionary definitions for eyebright

eyebright

/ (ˈaɪˌbraɪt) /

noun

any scrophulariaceous annual plant of the genus Euphrasia, esp E. nemorosa, having small white-and-purple two-lipped flowers: formerly used in the treatment of eye disordersAlso called: euphrasy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012