Definition of eye
1a : 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 skullb : all the visible structures within and surrounding the orbit and including eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrowsc (1) : the faculty of seeing with eyes (2) : the faculty of intellectual or aesthetic perception or appreciation an eye for beauty (3) : skill or ability dependent upon eyesight a batter with a good eyed : look, glance cast an eager eyee (1) : an attentive look kept an eye on his valuables (2) : attention, notice caught his eye (3) : close observation : scrutiny works under the eye of her boss in the public eyef : point of view, judgment beauty is in the eye of the beholder —often used in plural an offender in the eyes of the law
2 : something having an appearance suggestive of an eye: such asa : the hole through the head of a needleb : a usually circular marking (as on a peacock's tail)c : loop; especially : a loop or catch to receive a hookd : an undeveloped bud (as on a potato)e : an area like a hole in the center of a tropical cyclone marked by only light winds or complete calm with no precipitationf : the center of a flower especially when differently colored or marked; specifically : the disk of a compositeg (1) : a triangular piece of beef cut from between the top and bottom of a round (2) : the chief muscle of a chop (3) : a compact mass of muscular tissue usually embedded in fat in a rib or loin cut of meath : a device (such as a photoelectric cell) that functions in a manner analogous to human vision
3 : something central : center the eye of the problem — Norman Mailer
4 : the direction from which the wind is blowing
an eye for an eye
: retribution in kind
my eye
—used to express mild disagreement or sometimes surprise a diamond, my eye! That's glass
with an eye to
or less commonlywith 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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of eye in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples of eye from the Web
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The vehicle is described as a tan or beige 2004 GMC Yukon with Missouri plates: MH2P0D. Rohr is 5 feet 1 inch tall, 138 pounds with sandy hair and blue eyes.
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Kent has caught the eye with the Yorkshire club during his loan spell, demonstrating his dribbling and technical ability in a number of promising performances.
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The woman had bruises and swelling on her left cheek, eye, arm and wrist, bruises on both knees and a scratch on her neck.
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The city’s armor, its shiny office surfaces, deflected my attention back to the streets whenever my eyes wandered.
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Griffin is described as a white male, 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, blond hair and blue eyes with several tattoos.
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The microneedles, which are barely visible to the human eye, are made of a mixture of the vaccine and a water-soluble polymer.
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Senate leaders had scheduled a vote for this week but postponed it to give McCain time to recover from treatment of a blood clot near his eye.
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His party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), has eyes in every village, and enforces obedience through fear.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eye.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Illustration of eye
Origin and Etymology of eye
Middle English, from Old English ēage; akin to Old High German ouga eye, Latin oculus, Greek ōps eye, face, Sanskrit akṣi eye
Other Anatomy Terms
eye
Definition of eye
eyed
;eyeing
oreying
transitive verb
1a (1) : to fix the eyes on : look at they eyed him suspiciously (2) : contemplate, consider eyeing the choicesb : to watch or study closely eyeing changes in the stock market
2 : to furnish with an eye
intransitive verb
Examples of eye in a Sentence
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 of eye from the Web
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Sunnyvale homeowners who may have been eyeing energy upgrades will soon have a new way to pay for them.
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Dr. Shlain is now eyeing an expansion into New York, Seattle and Santa Monica, Calif.
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Republicans had been eyeing the state's attorney general, Tim Fox, to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
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It’s no coincidence that all these companies are eyeing Seattle as a launchpad for stationless bike share.
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Just down the road, Chappell is eying a 7,400-square-foot property to refurbish into a multipurpose community center, an asset the neighborhood lacks and sorely needs.
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Officials are also eyeing a plan to relocate its services inside a new school.
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The youngest member of their crew, 2-year-old Tilly Melendi, who also has PURA syndrome, eyed the boys suspiciously for a while, then relaxed and showed off her crawling and clapping skills.
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On Monday, the New York Times reports that investigators are eying Kushner's contacts with Russian banker and Putin associate Sergey Gorkov.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eye.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of eye
15th century
EYE Defined for English Language Learners
eye
playDefinition of eye for English Language Learners
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: the part of the body that you see with
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: an ability to understand and appreciate something seen
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—used to describe the way something looks to you
eye
Definition of eye for English Language Learners
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: to watch or look at (someone or something) in a very close or careful way
EYE Defined for Kids
Definition of eye for Students
1 : the organ of seeing that in vertebrates is a round organ filled with a jellylike material, is located in a bony cavity in the skull, and has a lens which focuses light on the retina
2 : the eye along with its surrounding parts (as the eyelids)
3 : the colored surface of the iris He has blue eyes.
4 : the ability to see I have good eyes.
5 : the ability to recognize or appreciate He has a good eye for color.
6 : 2glance It caught my eye.
7 : close attention : watch Keep an eye on dinner.
8 : judgment 1 They are guilty in the eyes of the law.
eyed
\ˈīd\ adjectiveeyeless
\ˈī-ləs\ adjectiveHeadscratcher for eye
Eye is the only body part that is spelled the same forwards and backwards.
Definition of eye for Students
eyed
;eyeing
oreying
: to look at : watch closely They eyed the stranger suspiciously.
Medical Dictionary
eye
playMedical Definition of eye
1: an organ of sight; 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
3: the faculty of seeing with eyes
Illustration of eye
Learn More about eye
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for eye Spanish Central: Translation of eye Nglish: Translation of eye for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of eye for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eye
Seen and Heard
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