eyebright

American  

[ahy-brahyt] / ˈaɪˌbraɪt /

noun

1. 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.

2. the scarlet pimpernel. pimpernel

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eyebright British  

/ ˈaɪˌbraɪt /

noun

1. Also called: euphrasy.  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 disorders

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Etymology

Origin of eyebright

First recorded in 1525–35; eye + bright

Example Sentences

Products may include Cargo’s Swimmables blush, Liz Earle’s Eyebright eye lotion and Anastasia Beverly Hills’ clear brow gel, among others.

From Los Angeles Times

You're reading about the ancient Greeks' love of hunting hounds, and here comes the historian Xenophon, a contemporary of Socrates, and there, at page's bottom, is a list of Xenophon's suggestions for hound names, a list that includes Spigot, Craftsman, Counsellor, Eyebright, Bubbler, Blossom and Sunbeam — and reading the list, I'm laughing and thinking: Huh ... who knew Xenophon and Frank Zappa — father of Moon Unit — had so much in common?

From Seattle Times

Purple thyme and knapweed, yellow lady's bedstraw and St John's wort and white eyebright are inhabited by bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies in a dreamlike tale of this land as powerful as any line from Shakespeare.

From The Guardian

By and by they came to a rough footbridge, leading to a little lane, its hedgerows bordered with ferns, and gay with rose-campion and soft blue harebells, while trails of meadow-sweet scented the air; beyond, lay a beautiful meadow, belting Podgill, its green surface gemmed with the starry eyebright, and golden in parts with yellow trefoil and ragwort.

From Project Gutenberg

Dr. Heriot had placed her on a stile at the head of the little lane that skirted Podgill; the broad sunny meadow lay before them, gemmed with trefoil and Polly's favourite eyebright; blue gentian, and pink and white yarrow, and yellow ragwort, wove straggling colours in the tangled hedgerows; the graceful campanula, with its bell-like blossoms, gleamed here and there, towering above the lowlier rose-campion, while meadow-sweet and trails of honeysuckle scented the air.

From Project Gutenberg