: a specialized light-sensitive sensory structure of animals that in nearly all vertebrates, most arthropods, and some mollusks is the image-forming organ of sight
especially: the nearly spherical usually paired hollow organ of sight in vertebrates that is filled with a jellylike material, is lined with a photosensitive retina, and is lodged in a bony orbit in the skull
b
: all the visible structures within and surrounding the orbit and including eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows
c(1)
: the faculty of seeing with eyes
(2)
: the faculty of intellectual or aesthetic perception or appreciation
—used to express mild disagreement or sometimes surprise
a diamond, my eye! That's glass
with an eye to or less commonly with an eye toward
1
: with awareness or contemplation of
with an eye to the future
2
: with the object of
built the house with an eye to adding on later
Did you know?
The eye is an organ that receives light and visual images. Non-image forming eyes (also called direction eyes) are found among worms, mollusks, cnidarians, echinoderms, and other invertebrates. Image-forming eyes are found in certain mollusks, most arthropods, and nearly all vertebrates. Arthropods are unique in possessing a compound eye, which results in their seeing a multiple image that is partially integrated in the brain. Lower vertebrates, such as fish, have eyes on either side of the head, allowing a maximum view of the surroundings, but producing two separate fields of vision. In predatory birds and mammals, binocular vision is more important. The placement of both eyes on the front of the head permits a larger overlap of the two visual fields, resulting in a parallel line of direct sight.
Noun
Her eyes slowly became accustomed to the dark.
He wears a patch over one eye.
I have something in my eye.
Only a trained eye can tell the difference between the original painting and a good copy.
For decorating, they rely on her discerning eye.
He has an artist's eye for color.
He reviewed the proposal with a jaundiced eye.
The biographer cast a cold eye on the artist's life. Verb
I saw someone eyeing me from across the street.
a lot of his backyard bird watching was spent eyeing the squirrels as they depleted the bird feeder of seeds
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Fort Worth City Council discussed on Tuesday a study outlining the academic progress of children in various child care programs throughout the city and county, keeping eyes on a struggling sector that’s been especially highlighted by Mayor Mattie Parker.—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2024 Guy then stuck out his tongue and cartoonishly widened his eyes for the C-SPAN camera.—Marina Watts, Peoplemag, 4 June 2024
Verb
While low and falling valuations have offered opportunities for short sellers, bargain-hunting companies are increasingly eyeing their own opportunities to acquire those U.K. firms on the cheap.—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 4 June 2024 Opening up 21 stores last year to total 191 brick-and-mortar locations, Golden Goose is eyeing an even more ambitious 2024, tapping former Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri to join its board in April.—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for eye
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eye.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English ēage; akin to Old High German ouga eye, Latin oculus, Greek ōps eye, face, Sanskrit akṣi eye
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
especially: a rounded hollow organ that is filled with a jellylike material, is lined with a sensitive retina, and is located in a bone-lined cavity in the skull of a vertebrate
b
: all the visible parts (as the eyelids) within and surrounding the bone-lined cavity
especially: a nearly spherical hollow organ that is lined with a sensitive retina, is lodged in a bony orbit in the skull, is the vertebrate organ of sight, and is normally paired
2
: all the visible structures within and surrounding the orbit and including eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows
Share