Noun
1. A thickening of the inferior part of the bulbar sheath which supports the eye within the orbit; it extends between the lateral and medial orbital margins and includes the medial and lateral check ligaments. (biology-online.org)
2. Forms a hammock stretching below the eyeball between the medial and lateral check ligaments and enclosing the inferior rectus and inferior oblique muscles of the eye.
The ligament functions to support the eye,[1] and prevents downward displacement of the eyeball. Parasympathetic nerve innervation via the oculomotor nerve (CN III) reduces the tension on the suspensory ligaments, this in turn releases tension on the lens and allows it become fatter and more spherical. This allows the eye to focus on closer objects as occurs in accommodation. (wikipedia.org)
Syn: suspensory ligament of eyeball
Word origin: Named after Charles Barrett Lockwood.