Definition of 'eye'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense eyes
, present participle eyeing
or eying
, past tense, past participle eyed
2. verb
If you eye someone or something in a particular way, you look at them carefully in that way.
3. countable noun [usually singular]
You use eye when you are talking about a person's ability to judge things or about the way in
which they are considering or dealing with things.
4. countable noun [adjective NOUN]
5. singular noun [usually with poss]
6. countable noun
An eye on a potato is one of the dark spots from which new stems grow.
7. countable noun
8. countable noun
The eye of a needle is the small hole at one end which the thread passes through.
9. singular noun
10. See also black eye, private eye, shut-eye
12.
13.
14. See also eye-catching
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
See up to your eyes
45. the naked eye
Phrasal verbs:
See eye up
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
eye in British English 1
noun
1.
the organ of sight of animals, containing light-sensitive cells associated with nerve fibres, so that light entering the eye is converted to nervous impulses that reach the brain. In humans and other vertebrates the iris controls the amount of light entering the eye and the lens focuses the light onto the retina
▶ Related adjectives: ocular, oculate, ophthalmic, optic3.
the visible external part of an eye, often including the area around it
heavy-lidded eyes
piercing eyes
5.
a sexually inviting or provocative look (esp in the phrases give (someone) the (glad) eye, make eyes at)
6.
attention or observation (often in the phrases catch someone's eye, keep an eye on, cast an eye over)
9.
12. See photocell
14. See all eyes
15. See my eye
16. See an eye for an eye
17. See cut one's eye after someone
18. See eyes out
19. See get one's eye in
20. See half an eye
21. See have eyes for
22. See in one's mind's eye
23. See in the public eye
24. See keep an eye open
25. See keep one's eyes peeled
26. See look someone in the eye
27. See make eyes
28. See more than meets the eye
29. See pick the eyes out
30. See see eye to eye
31. See set eyes on
32. See the eye of the wind
33. See turn a blind eye to
34. See up to one's eyes
35. See with a … eye
36. See with an eye to
37. See with one's eyes open
38. See with one's eyes shut
verbWord forms: eyes, eyeing or eying, eyed (transitive)
39.
to look at carefully or warily
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
eyeless (ˈeyeless) adjective
eyelike (ˈeyeˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English ēage; related to Old Norse auga, Old High German ouga, Sanskrit aksiWord Frequency
eye in British English 2
noun
another word for nye
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
eye in American English
noun
1.
the organ of sight in humans and animals
4. [often pl.]
the power of seeing; sight; vision
weak eyes
5.
a look; glance; gaze
to cast an eye on something
6.
attention; regard; observation
9.
a thing like an eye in appearance or function
; specif.,a.
a bud of a tuber, as a potato
b.
the spot on a peacock's tail feather
d.
a hole in a tool, as for a handle
e.
the threading hole in a needle
f.
a loop of metal, rope, or thread
hook and eye
g.
an organ sensitive to light, as in certain lower forms of life
i.
a section of any of certain cuts of meat
eye of round
j.
a hole, as in certain cheeses
11. Meteorology
verb transitiveWord forms: eyed, ˈeyeing or ˈeying
13.
to look at; watch carefully; observe
14.
to provide with eyes, or holes
verb intransitive
15. Obsolete
to appear (to the eyes)
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME ey, eie < OE ēage, akin to Ger auge < IE base *okw-, to see > Gr osse, eyes, ōps, face, eye, L oculusWord Frequency
eye in American English
(ai) (noun plural eyes, archaic eyen or eyne, verb eyed, eying or eyeing)
noun
1.
the organ of sight, in vertebrates typically one of a pair of spherical bodies contained in an orbit of the skull and in humans appearing externally as a dense, white, curved membrane, or sclera, surrounding a circular, colored portion, or iris, that is covered by a clear, curved membrane, or cornea, and in the center of which is an opening, or pupil, through which light passes to the retina
2.
3.
this organ with respect to the color of the iris
blue eyes
4.
the region surrounding the eye
a black eye
puffy eyes
5.
sight; vision
a sharp eye
7.
a look, glance, or gaze
to cast one's eye at a beautiful necklace
10.
a manner or way of looking at a thing; estimation; opinion
in the eyes of the law
11.
a center of light, intelligence, influence, etc.
12.
something resembling or suggesting the eye in appearance, shape, etc., as the opening in the lens of a camera, a peephole, or a buttonhole
13. Botany
b.
a small, contrastingly colored part at the center of a flower
14.
the central spot of a target; bull's-eye
16.
one of the round spots on the tail feathers of a peacock
17.
the hole in a needle
18.
a hole made in a thing for the insertion of some object, as the handle of a tool
the eye of an ax
19.
a metal or other ring through which something, as a rope or rod, is passed
20.
the loop into which a hook is inserted
21. Electronics
a photoelectric cell or similar device used to perform a function analogous to visual inspection
22. Building
a ring on the end of a tension member, as an eye bar or eye bolt, for connection with another member
23.
a hole formed during the maturation of cheese, esp. Emmenthaler or Gruyère
24.
a loop worked at the end of a rope
25. Meteorology
the approximately circular region of relatively light winds and fair weather found at the center of a severe tropical cyclone
26. See eyes
28. See an eye for an eye
29. See be all eyes
30. See catch someone's eye
31. See give (someone) the eye
32. See have an eye for
33. See have eyes only for
34. See in a pig's eye
35. See keep an eye on
36. See keep an eye out for
37. See keep one's eye on the ball
38. See keep one's eyes open
39. See lay eyes on
40. See make eyes at
41. See my eye!
42. See open one's eyes
43. See pick the eyes out
44. See run one's eye over
45. See see eye to eye
46. See see with half an eye
47. See shut one's eyes to
48. See sight for sore eyes
49. See with an eye to
50. See with one's eyes open
transitive verb
51.
to fix the eyes upon; view
to eye the wonders of nature
52.
to observe or watch narrowly
She eyed the two strangers with suspicion
53.
to make an eye in
to eye a needle
intransitive verb
54. obsolete
to appear to the eye
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
eyeable adjective
eyelike
adjective
eyer
noun
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME eie, ie, OE ēge, var. of ēage; c. G Auge; akin to L oculus, Gk o᷇ps, Skt akṣi]Word Frequency
eye in Automotive Engineering 1
(aɪ)
Word forms: (regular plural) eyes
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Bodywork, controls, and accessories)
An eye is the end of a link which has a flat part with a hole by which it can be attached.
Place the eye over the stud and secure with a nut.
A linkage consisting of an eye end and fork end is stronger because the pivot pin is in double rather than single
shear.
The farmer connected the eye of his trailer to the tractor.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
eye in Automotive Engineering 2
(aɪ)
Word forms: (regular plural) eyes
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Brakes, steering, wheels, tires, and suspension)
An eye is the end of a leaf spring by which it is attached to a vehicle.
Extending the frame allowed the rear spring front eye to join the chassis assembly.
He connected the eye of the leaf spring to the vehicle’s chassis.
After many years' use the eye of the leaf spring would wear and the suspension would rattle.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Examples of 'eye' in a sentence
eye
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Quotations
The sight of you is good for sore eyesPolite Conversation
The eyes are the windows of the soul
More idioms containing
eye
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In other languages
eye
British English: eye
/aɪ/ NOUN
Your eyes are the parts of your body with which you see.
I opened my eyes and looked.
- American English: eye /ˈaɪ/
- Arabic: عَيْـن
- Brazilian Portuguese: olho
- Chinese: 眼睛
- Croatian: oko
- Czech: oko orgán
- Danish: øje
- Dutch: oog
- European Spanish: ojo
- Finnish: silmä
- French: œil
- German: Auge
- Greek: μάτι
- Italian: occhio
- Japanese: 目
- Korean: 눈
- Norwegian: øye
- Polish: oko
- European Portuguese: olho
- Romanian: ochi
- Russian: глаз
- Latin American Spanish: ojo
- Swedish: öga
- Thai: ตา
- Turkish: göz
- Ukrainian: око
- Vietnamese: mắt
British English: eye
VERB /ˈaɪ/
If you eye someone or something in a particular way, you look at them carefully in that way.
She eyed the other girl with interest.
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Definition of eye from the Collins English Dictionary
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