sty

verb

stied or styed; stying

transitive verb

: to lodge or keep in a sty

intransitive verb

: to live in a sty

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for sty

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

sty

1 of 2 noun

ˈstī 

plural sties also styes

: pigpen

sty

2 of 2 noun

variants or stye

ˈstī

plural sties or styes

: a painful red swelling of a skin gland on the edge of an eyelid

Etymology

Old English stig "a pen for swine"

a shortened form of obsolete styan "a painful swelling of a gland on the edge of the eyelid," from Old English stīgend (same meaning), from stīgan "to rise up"

Medical Definition

sty

noun

variants or stye

ˈstī 

plural sties or styes

: an inflamed swelling of a sebaceous gland at the margin of an eyelid

called also hordeolum