/ aɪ; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
PART OF BODY
1.
[ C ] either of the two organs on the face that you see with :
The suspect has dark hair and green eyes.
to close / open your eyes
to drop / lower your eyes (= to look down)
There were tears in his eyes.
I have something in my eye.
to make / avoid eye contact with sb (= to look / avoid looking at them at the same time as they look at you)
All eyes were on him (= everyone was looking at him) as he walked on to the stage.
—see also black eye , compound eye , lazy eye , shut-eye
2.
-eyed (in adjectives) having the type or number of eyes mentioned :
a blue-eyed blonde
a one-eyed monster
ABILITY TO SEE
3.
[ sing. ] the ability to see :
A surgeon needs a good eye and a steady hand.
—see also eagle eye
WAY OF SEEING
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] a particular way of seeing sth :
He looked at the design with the eye of an engineer.
She viewed the findings with a critical eye.
To my eye , the windows seem out of proportion.
OF NEEDLE
5.
[ C ] the hole in the end of a needle that you put the thread through
—picture at needle
ON CLOTHES
6.
[ C ] a small thin piece of metal curved round, that a small hook fits into, used for fastening clothes :
It fastens with a hook and eye .
OF STORM
7.
[ sing. ] a / the ~ of a / the storm, tornado, hurricane, etc. a calm area at the centre of a storm, etc.
ON POTATO
8.
[ C ] a dark mark on a potato from which another plant will grow
—see also Catseye , bullseye , the evil eye , fisheye lens , red-eye
•
IDIOMS
- be all eyes
- before / in front of sb's (very) eyes
- be up to your eyes in sth
- cast / run an eye / your eyes over sth
- clap / lay / set eyes on sb/sth
- an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth)
- sb's eyes are bigger than their stomach
- for sb's eyes only
- get your eye in
- have an eye for sth
- have eyes in the back of your head
- have (got) eyes like a hawk
- have one eye / half an eye on sth
- have your eye on sb
- have your eye on sth
- in the eyes of the law, world, etc.
- in sb's eyes
- keep an eye on sb/sth
- keep an eye open / out (for sb/sth)
- keep your eye on the ball
- keep your eyes peeled / skinned (for sb/sth)
- look sb in the eye(s) / face
- make eyes at sb | give sb the eye
- my eye!
- not see eye to eye with sb (on sth)
- not (be able to) take your eyes off sb/sth
- one in the eye (for sb/sth)
- only have eyes for / have eyes only for sb
- see, look at, etc. sth through sb's eyes
- shut / close your eyes to sth
- take your eye off the ball
- under the (watchful) eye of sb
- what the eye doesn't see (the heart doesn't grieve over)
- with an eye for / on / to the main chance
- with an eye to sth / to doing sth
- with your eyes open
- with your eyes shut / closed
—more at apple , bat verb , beauty , believe , bird , blind adjective , blink noun , blue adjective , catch verb , close (II) adjective , cock verb , corner noun , dry noun , easy adjective , far adverb , feast verb , hit verb , meet verb , mind noun , naked , open adjective , open verb , please verb , public adjective , pull verb , roving , sight noun , twinkling , weather noun
■ verb
( eye·ing or eying , eyed , eyed ) [ vn ] to look at sb/sth carefully, especially because you want sth or you are suspicious of sth :
to eye sb suspiciously
He couldn't help eyeing the cakes hungrily.
They eyed us with alarm.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- eye sb up
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English ēage , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oog and German Auge .