# What's the word for the eye wax

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 2, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167 "2006-09-02T04:38:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167/21 "2006-09-03T15:48:48Z")

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[QUOTE=cmyk]  
My family has always called it “sleep”.

I’ve also heard it called “eye boogers”.

Not sure what the medical name would be. And, from my experience, it’s not at all the consistency of wax. If it’s fresh, it’s kinda slimy. When dried, it forms a crust. It might just be dried eye mucus for the most part, but I’d like to hear a Dr. chime in…  
[/QUOTE]

I usually call it “eye boogers”, but I recall it being called “sleep”, as in “Wipe the sleep from your eyes”. I wonder if that phrase is usually use figuratively (i.e. “wake yourself up”) or literally (i.e. “Wipe the eye boogers from your eyes.”) I always thought it was the latter.

Isn’t that stuff basically the same as snot/boogers from the nose? i.e. dirt bound up in mucus?

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**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167/22 "2006-09-03T16:33:59Z")

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The Chinese call it “eye poop”. I call it “eye crust”.

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**Author:** ![bundykala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bundykala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bundykala)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167/23 "2006-09-04T00:14:40Z")

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[QUOTE=friedo]  
I call it eye snot.  
[/QUOTE]

Me too!

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**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167/24 "2006-09-04T06:36:10Z")

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Eye secretions are produced by the lacrimal ducts…salt water  
the mucin produced by the goblet glands also in the eye and the meibomian glands contribute secretion as well  
Some of the secretions loose moisture leaving dried secretions…Any name one wants to choose is suitable…I call them eye secretions.

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**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-the-eye-wax/371167/25 "2006-09-04T06:37:21Z")

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[QUOTE=OliverTwistofLime]  
Eye secretions are produced by the lacrimal ducts…salt water  
the mucin produced by the goblet glands also in the eye and the meibomian glands contribute secretion as well  
Some of the secretions loose moisture leaving dried secretions…Any name one wants to choose is suitable…I call them eye secretions.  
[/QUOTE]

lose moisture…not loose

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