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Synonyms

eyebrow

American  
[ahy-brou] / ˈaɪˌbraʊ /

noun

  1. the arch or ridge forming the upper part of the orbit of the eye.

  2. the fringe of hair growing on this arch or ridge.

  3. a dormer having a roof that is an upwardly curved continuation of the main roof plane.

  4. Printing, Journalism. kicker.

  5. Nautical. a curved molding protecting a port from falling or dripping water.

eyebrow British  
/ ˈaɪˌbraʊ /

noun

  1. the transverse bony ridge over each eye

  2. the arch of hair that covers this ridge

  3. See raise

"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
eyebrow Idioms  

  1. see cause raised eyebrows.

Etymology

Origin of eyebrow

First recorded in 1575–85; eye + brow

Explanation

Your eyebrows are the curved areas of hair on your face above each of your eyes. The purpose of eyebrows is to keep dust and sweat from getting in your eyes. Eyebrows help protect your eyes, but they're also an expressive part of your face, often giving away your mood instantly — especially ones like surprise or anger. While just about everyone can raise and lower both eyebrows together, only some of us can move them independently of each other. The size and shape of eyebrows varies widely from person to person, and many people pluck individual hairs from their eyebrows to shape and thin them.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But judges are likely to raise an eyebrow, especially given that Mr. Powell wasn’t directly in charge of overseeing the project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“It’s definitely an eyebrow raiser,” Donnelly told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

Personal indiscretions once seen as disqualifying, such as the extramarital affair that chased Gary Hart from the 1988 presidential race, scarcely raise an eyebrow.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

Coming from Chechnya, a conservative Muslim republic in Russia, she cut her hair short, stopped covering her head, shaved off part of her eyebrow and posted quirky selfies on Instagram.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

Then I noticed the tiny speck, a mole, right above the boy’s left eyebrow, which is exactly where I have a mole right above my left eyebrow.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.