Useless fact
What is the corner of your eye called?
The corner of the human eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet is anatomically called the canthus.
The term canthus comes from the Ancient Greek word kanthos, which originally referred to the corner of the eye or the rim of a wheel. Medical anatomists adopted the word to precisely identify the two distinct angles where the upper and lower eyelids join together. The corner closer to the nose is known as the medial or inner canthus, while the one closer to the temple is called the lateral or outer canthus. These structures play a critical structural role in anchoring the palpebral ligaments that keep the eyelids properly aligned across the surface of the eyeball. An adjacent detail of eye anatomy is that the medial canthus houses the lacrimal caruncle, the small pink nodule that contains sweat and sebaceous glands. Understanding the anatomy of the canthus is essential in ophthalmology and reconstructive facial surgery, particularly when repairing eyelid drooping or traumatic injuries around the orbit.
Why this is true — Standard anatomical and medical dictionaries define the canthus as either corner where the eyelids meet.
Sources
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms - canthus National Cancer Institute