Meaning & use
canthal
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nountechnicalmedical
Relating to a canthus, the inner or outer corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet.
Grammar: Used only before a noun, as in 'canthal tendon'; it is not used after a verb and has no comparative form.
Patterns
- canthal tendon
- canthal tilt
- medial canthal
- lateral canthal
The surgeon repaired a tear in the medial canthal tendon after the injury.
A positive canthal tilt is often considered an attractive feature in facial aesthetics.
The lateral canthal area can develop fine lines with age.
Common combinations
- medial canthal tendon
- The medial canthal tendon anchors the eyelids to the bone near the nose.
- lateral canthal tendon
- Damage to the lateral canthal tendon can cause the lower lid to droop.
- canthal tilt
- The angle between the inner and outer eye corners is called the canthal tilt.
- canthal region
- Surgery in the canthal region requires great precision.
Word family
- canthus noun
- The corner of the eye itself; the noun that canthal is derived from.
Commonly confused: canthal or canthal?
canthal vs canthal
Sometimes confused with 'canthal' vs 'canthal'—no, this is the same word. But learners may confuse it with 'cantle' or 'canal'. 'Canthal' relates to the eye corner, while 'canal' is a tube or channel.
Practice
The doctor examined the ______ tendon, which attaches the eyelid to the bone.
Choose one answer.
'Canthal' is the correct adjective for the tendon at the corner of the eye. 'Cantal' is not a word, 'canal' is a channel, and 'candle' is a wax stick.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canthal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.