eyebrow
UK[ˈaɪ.braʊ]US[ˈaɪ.braʊ]
n
the line of short hairs above each eye in humans.
n
the bony ridge above the eye.
Morpheme Breakdown
eye
brow
eye
organ of sight
brow
forehead, ridge
Etymology
the word 'eyebrow' is a transparent compound from old english, formed from 'ēage' (eye) and 'brū' (brow, originally meaning 'eyelid' or 'forehead'). the term 'brū' in proto-germanic likely referred to the edge or projecting part of the face, which semantically narrowed to the ridge of hair above the eye. this literal combination, 'the brow of the eye', directly and logically names the anatomical feature, a pattern common in germanic languages for creating descriptive body part terms. its meaning has remained remarkably stable from its old english origins to modern usage.
Analysis
Structure: eye (organ of sight) + brow (forehead, ridge)
- eye: from old english 'ēage', meaning the organ of sight. its functional role is to denote the body part related to vision.
- brow: from old english 'brū', meaning the eyebrow, eyelid, or forehead. its functional role is to specify the location or ridge above the eye.
Examples
she raised a skeptical eyebrow at his extravagant claim.
he carefully shaped his eyebrows with a pair of tweezers.
the boxer suffered a cut above his left eyebrow.