# What is the eye muscle that closes the lid called?

The muscle that closes the eyelid is called the orbicularis oculi. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a flat, circular sphincter muscle surrounding the eye.

## What it means

- A flat, circular sphincter muscle surrounding the eye.
- Closes the eyelids.
- Also compresses the tear sac to help drain tears.

## Action steps

1. Encircles each eye.
2. Lies just under the skin of the eyelids and around the orbit.
3. Attached to bone at the inner corner of the orbit.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

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