Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » eye

eye

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

The definition of an eye is the organ that gives sight in humans and animals, or the iris.

(noun)

An example of an eye is the pair of visible organs that humans use to see.

To eye is defined as to look at or observe.

(verb)

An example of to eye is to check out a jacket in a department store window, you eye the jacket.

See eye in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the organ of sight in humans and animals
1. the eyeball
2. the iris: brown eyes
the area around the eye, including the eyelids: to get a black eye
the power of seeing; sight; vision: weak eyes
a look; glance; gaze: to cast an eye on something
attention; regard; observation
the power of judging, estimating, discriminating, etc. by eyesight: a good eye for distances
judgment; opinion; estimation: in the eyes of the law
a thing like an eye in appearance or function; specif.,
1. a bud of a tuber, as a potato
2. the spot on a peacock's tail feather
3. the center of a flower; disk
4. a hole in a tool, as for a handle
5. the threading hole in a needle
6. a loop of metal, rope, or thread: hook and eye
7. an organ sensitive to light, as in certain lower forms of life
8. photoelectric cell
9. a section of any of certain cuts of meat: eye of round
10. a hole, as in certain cheeses
Slang a private detective; private eye
Meteorol. the calm, low-pressure area at the center of a hurricane, around which winds of high velocity move
Naut. the part of the main deck of a vessel that is farthest forward

Origin: ME ey, eie < OE ēage, akin to Ger auge < IE base *okw-, to see > Gr osse, eyes, ōps, face, eye, L oculus

transitive verb eyed, eyeing or eying

to look at; watch carefully; observe
to provide with eyes, or holes

intransitive verb

Obsolete to appear (to the eyes)

See eye in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

An organ of vision or of light sensitivity.
a. Either of a pair of hollow structures located in bony sockets of the skull, functioning together or independently, each having a lens capable of focusing incident light on an internal photosensitive retina from which nerve impulses are sent to the brain; the vertebrate organ of vision.
b. The external, visible portion of this organ together with its associated structures, especially the eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows.
c. The pigmented iris of this organ.
The faculty of seeing; vision.
The ability to make intellectual or aesthetic judgments: has a good eye for understated fashion.
a. A way of regarding something; a point of view: To my eye, the decorations are excellent.
b. Attention: The lavish window display immediately got my eye.
c. Watchful attention or supervision: always under his boss's eye; kept an eye on her valuables.
Something suggestive of the vertebrate organ of vision, especially:
a. An opening in a needle.
b. The aperture of a camera.
c. A loop, as of metal, rope, or thread.
d. A circular marking on a peacock's feather.
e. Chiefly Southern U.S. The round flat cover over the hole on the top of a wood-burning stove. Also called regionally cap¹, griddle.
A photosensitive device, such as a photoelectric cell.
Botany
a. A bud on a twig or tuber: the eye of a potato.
b. The often differently colored center of the corolla of some flowers.
a. Meteorology The circular area of relative calm at the center of a cyclone.
b. The center or focal point of attention or action: right in the eye of the controversy.
Informal A detective, especially a private investigator.
A choice center cut of meat, as of beef: eye of the round.