eyebright means any of the flowering plants of the genus Euphrasia, originally as used to treat eye infections. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “eyebright” is a great word
EYEBRIGHT — [Noun] Any of the small flowering plants of the genus Euphrasia, noted for their traditional use in treating eye infections. The name is a compound of 'eye' (the organ of sight) + 'bright' (to make bright or clear). The common name is a calque of the plant's use in folk medicine to clear or brighten the eyes; the botanical genus name Euphrasia derives from the Greek euphrosynē ('gladness, mirth'), after one of the Graces. Unlike 'euphrasy' (its archaic, Latinate synonym) or 'chamomile' (a general soothing herb), eyebright is a name that is a direct, hopeful prescription. It is the tiny white-and-purple-veined bloom plucked from a damp meadow, the cool compress steeped in its bitter infusion, and the patient hope that a humble weed could restore clarity—a testament to our perennial desire to see the world more gladly.
Etymology
Compound of eye (noun) + bright (verb).
noun
- Any of the flowering plants of the genus Euphrasia, originally as used to treat eye infections.“Paracelsus had been recommending the plant eyebright for bad eyes in the sixteenth century; it was still in widespread use in the eighteenth.”