n.
Pronunciation: te- ' ri-j ē - ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural pte · ryg · ia \ -j ē - ə \ also -iums
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek pterygion little wing, from pteryx
Date: 1657
: a fleshy mass of thickened conjunctiva that grows over part of the cornea usually from the inner side of the eyeball and causes a disturbance of vision