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There are two containers connected with a thin sheet of plastic for keeping a pair of contact lenses. Should we call them (or it)

Contact lenses cases

or

A contact lenses case

or

Contact lens cases

or

A contact lens case

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    This is perhaps my idiosyncrasy, but I'd use "a contact lens case."
    – MaxW
    Commented Mar 19, 2016 at 4:50

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For a single container to hold multiple items, both container and contained are singular. A matchbox, a briefcase, a bookshelf, a notebook, a sock drawer.

Glasses case is widely used, maybe because glass case would be confusing. Some people are not comfortable with this usage and say spectacle case instead.

The correct term is therefore

a contact lens case

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  • Eyeglass case may be more productive than glass(es) case. Or case for my glasses.
    – Alan Carmack
    Commented Mar 19, 2016 at 17:19
  • @AlanCarmack, according to Ngram, spectacle case >> eyeglass case for British English, but eyeglass case > spectacle case for American English. Odd, when the order is glasses >> spectacles > eyeglasses for both languages.
    – JavaLatte
    Commented Mar 19, 2016 at 17:35
  • Yeah, just reporting on my own real life usage in the past few days to describe the object; (AmE). I expanded it to case for my glasses rather than say glass(es) case. It is weird though, that many folks don't seem to know that lens is singular.
    – Alan Carmack
    Commented Mar 19, 2016 at 18:39

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