eyelid [AS, eage + hlid] , one of two movable folds of protective thin skin over the eye, with eyelashes, ciliary glands, and meibomian glands along its margin. It consists of loose connective tissue containing a thin plate of fibrous tissue lined with mucous membrane (conjunctiva). The orbicularis oculi muscle and the oculomotor nerve control the opening and closing of the eyelid. The upper and lower eyelids are separated by the palpebral fissure. Also called palpebra.
