collyrium
/kəˈlɪrɪəm
/noun (plural collyria /kəˈlɪrɪə/)
1 archaic A medicated eyewash.Pliny says, in so many words, that the cerates and cataplasms, plasters, collyria, and antidotes, so abundant in his time, as in more recent days, were mere tricks to make money....
- The invention further relates to suitable pharmaceutical compositions and particularly a collyrium.
- A preferred collyrium contains 0.05% by weight of mequitazine and 1% by weight of hydroxypropyl-.beta.-cyclodextrin.
2 [mass noun] A kind of dark eyeshadow, used especially in Eastern countries.Who spoiled the painting on your breast and the collyrium of your eye?...
- The beloved's collyrium is made, however, from the ‘smoke of the flame of a voice’.
- The name Anjan Shalaka is given to the ceremony of decorating the eyes of new images of Jins with collyrium made of many special substances, using in the process a gold-stick.
Origin
Late Middle English: Latin, from Greek kollurion 'poultice', from kollura 'coarse bread roll'.