conjunctiva

From 1540s late Middle English, borrowing from Medieval Latin conjūnctīva (“serving to connect, connective”, feminine), ellipsis of membrāna conjūnctīva (“conjunctive membrane”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒn.dʒʌŋ(k)ˈtʌɪ.və/, /kənˈdʒʌŋ(k).tɪv.ə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑnˌd͡ʒʌŋ(k)ˈtaɪ.və/, /kənˌd͡ʒʌŋ(k)ˈtaɪ.və/
• Rhymes: -aɪvə, -ʌŋktɪvə

conjunctiva (plural conjunctivas or conjunctivae)

1. (anatomy) A clear mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and the exposed surface of the eyeball or sclera.

   Hyponym: bulbar conjunctiva

   • 1884, Elliott Coues, “§ 4.—An Introduction to the Anatomy of Birds.”, in Key to North American Birds. […], 2nd edition, Boston, Mass.: Estes and Lauriat, →OCLC, part II (General Ornithology), page 180:

     There is a third inner eyelid, highly developed and of beautiful mechanism: this is the nictitating membrane, or "winker" (nictito, I wink), a delicate, elastic, translucent, pearly-white fold of the conjunctiva. While the other lids move vertically and have a horizontal commissure, the winker sweeps horizontally or obliquely across the ball, from the side next the beak to the opposite.

• conjunctival
• conjunctivo-, conjunctiv-
• subconjunctiva

• conjunctivally
• conjunctive

• “conjunctiva”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “conjunctiva”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• conjūnctīva: (Classical) IPA^(key): /kon.i̯uːnkˈtiː.u̯a/, [kɔni̯uːŋkˈt̪iːu̯ä]
• conjūnctīva: (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kon.junkˈti.va/, [konjuŋkˈt̪iːvä]
• conjūnctīvā: (Classical) IPA^(key): /kon.i̯uːnkˈtiː.u̯aː/, [kɔni̯uːŋkˈt̪iːu̯äː]
• conjūnctīvā: (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kon.junkˈti.va/, [konjuŋkˈt̪iːvä]

conjūnctīva

1. inflection of conjūnctīvus:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

conjūnctīvā

1. ablative feminine singular of conjūnctīvus