eye

Y/aɪ/

Pluraleyes

Verbeyes, eyeing, eyed

29 meanings of eye

Practice

1
seeing organnouncountable
The part of the body that people and animals see with, often named by its color, as in blue eyes.
Like a camera that takes in light so you can see.
She rubbed her left eye after waking up.
The doctor checked both of his eyes carefully.
Note
2
attentionnouncountable
Attention or notice that you give to something.
Like a spotlight you point at the thing you care about.
Keep an eye on the baby while I cook.
The bright sign caught my eye right away.
UsageWe say keep an eye on the baby, and the sign caught my eye.
Similarattention, watch, notice
3
noun
The power to see, also called sight.
Like hearing is for sounds, seeing is for what's around you.
The bright colors were pleasing to the eye.
This design is easy on the eye.
UsageWe say something is pleasing to the eye or easy on the eye.
4
point of viewnouncountable
The way someone sees or judges something.
In the eyes of the law, he is still a child.
To my eye, the blue coat looks better than the red one.
UsageWe say in the eyes of the law, or to my eye for what you think.
Similarview, opinion, judgment, estimation
5
skill at noticingnouncountable
A special skill for noticing things other people miss.
Like having a talent for spotting things hidden in a busy picture.
She has a real eye for finding bargains.
A photographer needs a good eye for light.
UsageWe say someone has an eye for something, like an eye for color.
Similarperceptiveness
6
verbtransitive
To look at someone or something closely and carefully.
Like checking out a new toy before deciding if you want it.
Shoppers eye the bargains as soon as the sale opens.
She eyed the stranger with suspicion.
UsageWrite eyeing. We often say eye someone with suspicion.
Similargaze
Oppositeignore, disregard
Note
7
meaningful looknouncountable
A look or stare that sends a message without words.
Like a look that says 'stop' without using any words.
The man at the next table kept giving her the eye.
The teacher gave him the eye, and he stopped talking.
UsageWe say give someone the eye.
Similarlook, glance, stare, glare
Note

Less common meanings

8
storm centernouncountable
The calmer area at the center of a hurricane, often with clear skies.
Like a calm, quiet space right in the middle of a spinning storm.
The eye of the storm passed right over our town.
For a few minutes inside the eye, the sky was calm and blue.
UsageWe say the eye of the storm. In the eye of the storm can mean in the middle of big trouble.
Similarcenter
9
needle holenouncountable
The small hole at the end of a needle where the thread goes through.
Like the small opening you slide a string through.
She struggled to push the thread through the eye of the needle.
The eye was too small for the thick yarn.
10
round spotnouncountable
A round spot that looks like an eye, like those on a peacock's feather or in the middle of some flowers.
Like a fake face on wings that scares other animals away.
The butterfly's wings had a large eye on each side.
Bright eyes on the peacock's tail caught the light.
Similareyespot, spot
11
detectivenounslangabbreviationellipsis
A detective that someone pays to find things out for them. Short for private eye.
UsagePeople usually say private eye.
Note
12
metal loopnouncountable
A small loop or hole that something such as a hook, rope or handle fits into.
Like a small loop that catches a hook, the way a buttonhole holds a button.
She fastened the dress with a small hook and eye.
The eye on the gate holds the hook in place.
UsageWe say hook and eye for a small fastener on clothes.
Similarloop, eyelet, ring, hole
13
stove burnernounUScountable
One of the round burners on top of a kitchen stove.
Like one round spot on the stove that gets hot for cooking.
Turn the front eye to high and let the skillet heat up.
She moved the pot to a back eye to keep it warm.
UsageMost people say burner.
Similarburner, ring, hotplate
Note
14
potato budnouncountable
A small bud on a potato that can grow into a new plant.
Like a tiny seed hidden in the skin, ready to grow into a new plant.
Before planting, she cut the potato so each piece had an eye.
The potatoes had started to sprout from their eyes.
Similarbud
15
meat corenouncountable
The lean, round piece of muscle in the middle of a cut of meat, or a piece cut from it.
Dad trimmed the fat away and kept only the eye of the steak.
The butcher sold us an eye of round for Sunday dinner.
UsageYou see it in names like rib eye and eye of round.
Note
16
nouncountable
The brightest or most special part of something, the part everyone notices first.
the very eye of that proverb
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”Here, eye means the most important or best part of something.
Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts
1671, John Milton, Paradise Regain’dHere, eye means the finest, most important part, the jewel of a place.
Similarcenterpiece, jewel, gem, highlight, showpiece
Note
17
cheese holenouncountable
One of the round holes found in some kinds of cheese.
Like the round holes you see in a slice of Swiss cheese.
Each slice of Swiss cheese showed one large eye in the middle.
This cheese has big eyes you can see when you cut it.
Similarhole
18
nounobsoletecountable
A slight amount of a color, or a faint tint of one.
Similartinge, tint, hint, cast, shade
Note
19
remove budsverbtransitive
To cut out the small spots on potatoes where new shoots can grow.
Once the potatoes have been rumbled they require 'eyeing' with a turning knife or hand peeler.
1996, Food Preparation and Cooking
My first assignment was eyeing old potatoes. The Siegler brothers would buy potatoes so old they looked like an octopus. My job was to make them look presentable and, of course, sellable.
2012, Bob Vargovcik, Bayonne Boy
Note
20
letter namenouncountable
The spoken name of the letter I.
Like how we say "bee" for B, we say "eye" for I.
He spelled his name out loud: a bee, an eye, two ells.
Is her name Lynn with a wye or Linn with an eye?
Note
21
inside of letternouncountable
The small closed space above the middle bar of a lowercase letter e.
Like the little hole inside the letters a or e when you write them.
Designers made the eye of the e wider so it reads clearly.
If the eye of the e is too small, the letter looks dark on the page.
Similarcounter
Note
22
verbtransitive
To be interested in something you might try to get, buy, or do next.
My brother has been eyeing that red bike in the store window for months.
Many young couples eye this neighborhood as a place to buy their first home.
UsageCommon in news: a company eyes a new market.
Similarconsider, contemplate
Note
23
noun
In the game Go, an empty space fully surrounded by one player's stones.
24
noun
The small round center of a spiral scroll carved at the top of a column.
25
noun
In the plural, eyes, the very front part of a ship, where the anchor ropes go out.
26
verb
To let fish eggs grow until the dark eye spots can be seen.
27
noun
A group of young birds hatched and raised together.
28
noun
The bottom of the main shaft in a mine.
29
verbobsolete
To seem a certain way.
My becomings kill me, when they do not eye well to you.
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of eye apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

This word comes from Old English "ēage," meaning "eye." It goes back to an ancient root that meant "eye" or "to see."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

The word comes from Old English ēage, meaning "eye." en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from an ancient root meaning "eye" or "to see." en.wiktionary.org