orzaiolo
/or.d͡zaˈjɔ.lo/
The Italian word for stye is orzaiolo.
The term orzaiolo refers to a bacterial infection of the eyelash or eyelid. In informal speech, you may also hear the expression Brufolo sull'occhio, which literally means a pimple on the eye.
Meaning: bacterial infection of the eyelash or eyelid (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of orzaiolo is /or.dzaˈjɔ.lo/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian culture, an orzaiolo is sometimes associated with old wives' tales suggesting it appears if you look at something 'forbidden' or secret.
- If you were to describe the grain 'barley' in a culinary context, you would use orzo, which is also a very popular shape of pasta in Italy.
- The Latin root hordeum relates to the word 'barley', showing that the English-speaking world and the Italian-speaking world share the same ancient agricultural metaphors for certain ailments.
Examples in context
- Un paio di occhiali da sole potrebbe nascondere un orzaiolo.A pair of sunglasses could hide a stye.This sentence shows how sunglasses might be used to conceal an orzaiolo.Tatoeba #3529672 by Guybrush88, translation #2783692 by mervert1
- Ho un orzaiolo sull'occhio sinistro.I have a stye on my left eye.
- Quel piccolo orzaiolo è molto fastidioso.That little stye is very annoying.
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are talking in the living room.
- FrancescoGiulia, guarda, mi è uscito un orzaiolo.Giulia, look, I've got a stye.
- GiuliaSì, l'occhio è molto rosso, Francesco.Yes, your eye is very red, Francesco.
- FrancescoCosa posso usare per curare l'orzaiolo?What can I use to treat the stye?
- GiuliaProva a fare degli impacchi caldi.Try using some warm compresses.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stye” translations and entries orzaiolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orzaiolo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
