Definition

Noun: 1. A thin, watery discharge from the mucous membranes, especially of the eyes or nose. 2. (Archaic) Tears. 3. (Archaic) A cold or catarrh.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Upon waking, he wiped the rheum from the corners of his eyes.
  • The cold caused an annoying drip of rheum from his nose.
  • (Archaic) "Blow thy nose, and rid it of the rheum."

Advanced Usage

• The word is most commonly used in medical or formal contexts to describe the specific bodily fluid. In everyday speech, more common terms like "sleep" (for the eyes), "mucus," or "discharge" are typically used.
• The adjective form rheumy is more frequently encountered than the noun itself, often used to describe eyes that are watery, filmy, or encrusted with such a discharge.
  • The old dog looked up with rheumy eyes.

Variants and Related Words

• Rheumy (adjective): Characterized by, full of, or causing rheum; watery or discharging.
  • a rheumy discharge; rheumy eyes
• Rheumatic (adjective): Relating to or suffering from rheumatism (a different medical condition, historically linked via the concept of "flowing" humors).
• Catarrh (noun): Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the nose and throat, with a discharge. This is a related condition.

Synonyms

• Discharge
• Mucus
• (For eyes) Sleep, gound, eye crust
• (Archaic) Catarrh

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary modern meaning is the watery discharge itself.
• The archaic meanings extend to the conditions causing the discharge (a cold) or the result (tears). These uses are now rare.
• Do not confuse with rhubarb (the plant) or rheumatism (a joint disorder), though etymologically they share a root related to the concept of "flowing."

Noun

1. rhubarb
2. a watery discharge from the mucous membranes (especially from the eyes or nose)