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supercilium

supercilium

9.9
A line of hair above each eye that forms the eyebrow
  • noun
  • /ˌsuːpərˈsɪliəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : supercilio
  • The bird's prominent supercilium made it easy to identify among similar species.

Examples

  • The patient complained of pain along the right supercilium after the accident.

  • In primates, the supercilium often serves as a visual cue in social interactions.

  • The supercilium is essential for many species.

  • Look at the supercilium on that owl!

  • In primates, the supercilium often serves as a visual cue in social interactions.

  • The bird's prominent supercilium made it easy to identify among similar species.

  • The patient complained of pain along the right supercilium after the accident.

Synonyms

eyebrow
vssupercilium
253 1.0

A line of hair above the eye on the face

is the broader anatomical term also used for animals and scientific contexts
brow
vssupercilium
42 1.8

The line of hair growing above an eye

is the technical anatomical term used especially in zoological contexts

Surface Forms

supercilium singular
supercilia plural

Etymology

Supercilium comes from Latin parts super- meaning 'above' and cilium meaning 'eyelash' or 'small hair'. So it literally means the 'hair above the eye', which is why it is used in anatomy to mean 'eyebrow'.