eye drops

plural noun

ˈī-ˌdräps How to pronounce eye drops (audio)
variants or less commonly eyedrops
: a medicated solution for the eyes that is applied in drops
—usually singular and hyphenated when used before another noun
Most cases of chronic glaucoma are treated with eye-drop medications that reduce pressure in the eye.—Oz Hopkins Koglin

Examples of eye drops in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep sterile saline eye drops in your first aid kit for this emergency. — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont Nearly 40,000 bottles of eye drops recalled. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The eye drops are sold at stores that include Target, Walmart and Kroger. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026 The eye drops are sold over the counter nationwide at major retailers, including CVS and Walmart. — Jane Weaver, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eye drops

Word History

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eye drops was in 1762

Rhymes for eye drops

See All Rhymes for eye drops

Browse Nearby Words

eyedropperful
eye drops
eyed skate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eye drops.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye%20drops. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

eye drops

noun plural
variants also eyedrops
ˈī-ˌdräps How to pronounce eye drops (audio)
: a medicated solution for the eyes that is applied in drops
eye-drop
-ˌdräp How to pronounce eye drops (audio)
adjective
or eyedrop
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All