Cilia
/ˈsɪliə/noun
Tiny hairlike structures on cells or small eyelash-like hairs on the body.
Did you know?The word is tied to Latin *cilium* (“eyelid, eyelash”), and its cousin **supercilium** originally meant the eyebrow — a reminder that body-part words often began as precise, physical observations.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cilium
“eyelid; eyelash”
Late Latin
Latin
cilia
“eyelashes; eyelids”
16th Century
Latin
cilia
“plural of cilium, used in learned anatomical writing”
Modern English
English
cilia
“tiny hairlike projections, especially on cells”
Explore more surprising origins