eyelash

American  

[ahy-lash] / ˈaɪˌlæʃ /

noun

1. one of the short, thick, curved hairs growing as a fringe on the edge of an eyelid.

2. the fringe of hairs itself.

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eyelash British  

/ ˈaɪˌlæʃ /

noun

1. any one of the short curved hairs that grow from the edge of the eyelids

2. a row or fringe of these hairs

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Etymology

Origin of eyelash

First recorded in 1745–55; eye + lash ¹

Explanation

An eyelash is a hair that grows from your top or bottom eyelid. Try batting or fluttering your eyelashes to get attention. You'll either get what you want or look silly, or both. Eyelashes are small, usually dark and curved, and having plenty of long, lush eyelashes is considered attractive in everyone, male or female. The combination of your blinking eyelids and the fringe of eyelashes helps keep small particles out of your eyes — and eyelashes are sensitive in a similar way to a cat's whiskers, so that your eyes will shut reflexively when some object comes too close.

Example Sentences

It's something that I just evolved into doing and I use my eyelash as a paintbrush.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Many species are no wider than an eyelash and typically grow close to the ground in damp, shaded environments.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

Years later, when my salary broke six figures, I found myself dropping $20 on a fancy cocktail without batting a designer-mascaraed eyelash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

Can you explain how and why you came up with the eyelash sequence, which you shot in excruciating close-up, and the truly disgusting tapeworm?

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

I can see it in every eyelash, every contraction of her pupil.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

• eyebrow
• fiber
• fur
• grass
• haircut
• hairstyle
• mane
• sideburn
• strand
• wig
• wool