pinkeye

American  

[pingk-ahy] / ˈpɪŋkˌaɪ /

Or pink eye

noun

Pathology.

1. a contagious form of acute conjunctivitis occurring in humans and certain animals: so called from the color of the inflamed eye.

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pinkeye British  

/ ˈpɪŋkˌaɪ /

noun

1. Also called: acute conjunctivitis.  an acute contagious inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye, characterized by redness, discharge, etc: usually caused by bacterial infection

2. Also called: infectious keratitis.  a similar condition affecting the cornea of horses and cattle

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Usage

What is pinkeye? Pinkeye is the common name for conjunctivitis and occasionally used as a slang term for other things. Pinkeye is often spelled as two words: pink eye.

Etymology

Origin of pinkeye

First recorded in 1785–95; pink ¹ + eye

Example Sentences

The couple’s son got pinkeye and the flu at the same time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Some advocates and school systems — and the state of California — are now encouraging kids to come to class even when they have the sniffles or other nuisance illnesses like lice or pinkeye.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2024

XBB 1.16, the dominant Omicron subvariant dubbed Arcturus, has been manifesting as pinkeye.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Typical maladies include upset stomach, respiratory ailments, pinkeye, earaches, meningitis, hepatitis and even neurological disorders.

From Fox News • Jul. 27, 2021

They never got mumps or pinkeye or colds or stomachaches or anything.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson