eyedropper

IPA/ˈaɪˌdrɒp.ər/
KK[ˈaɪdrˌɑpɚ]IPA/ˈaɪˌdrɑː.pɚ/

eyedropper — noun

  • eyedroppersingular
  • eyedroppersplural

1. A narrow glass or plastic tube that has a soft rubber bulb, used to pull up a sm

1.nounB1
Definition

A narrow glass or plastic tube that has a soft rubber bulb, used to pull up a small amount of liquid and let it fall in single drops.

Example

The doctor used an eyedropper to put three drops of medicine into Linh's right ear.

collocation: put drops into [body part]

Fill an eyedropper with water and gently squeeze until a drop falls onto a slide.

imperative: instructions for using a tool

Common collocations
  • use an eyedropper
  • fill an eyedropper
  • squeeze the bulb
  • drop of liquid
  • glass eyedropper
  • plastic eyedropper
Synonyms
  • dropper

    shorter, more general term; 'eyedropper' specifies the shape and common use, while 'dropper' can also refer to a medicine bottle with a built-in dropper tip

  • pipette

    scientific/lab context; a pipette is usually more precise and often made of glass with a marked scale for measuring exact volumes

Usage Note

The rubber part that you squeeze is called the bulb. Eyedroppers are commonly used for medicine (ear drops, eye drops), essential oils, and simple lab work.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dropper is the broadest term, covering any tube that releases liquid in drops — including eyedroppers and dropper bottles. Pipette refers to a lab instrument with volume markings, used when precise measurement matters; a pipette can be a type of dropper but is usually more slender and calibrated. Syringe is different: it has a plunger rather than a rubber bulb, creates suction by pulling, and is commonly used for injections or measuring precise doses. For everyday medicine such as ear drops or baby liquid medicine, an eyedropper (or simply 'dropper') is typical. In a chemistry class you would reach for a pipette, not an eyedropper.

dropper ↗pipette ↗syringe ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • drop by drop
  • squeeze the bulb
  • fill an eyedropper
  • clean an eyedropper

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining 'eye' (the body part) and 'dropper' (a device that makes liquid fall in drops), because the tool was first widely used for putting drops into the eye. The word appeared in English around the early 1900s, when mass-produced glass medicine droppers became common in households.