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eye

n. · v.
US //ˈaɪ// UK //ˈaɪ// eye
  1. 1 organ of sight (n.)
    A1 Beginner Medicine

    one of the two parts of your face that you use for seeing.

    the organ of sight in humans and animals, typically located in the head.

    Example

    She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep while the music played.

    Example

    The surgeon performed a delicate operation to repair the damaged retina in the patient's left eye.
  2. 2 attention or notice (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of looking at or noticing something.

    the focus of attention, observation, or scrutiny.

    Example

    The bright red car caught his eye as it drove past the house.

    Example

    The unusual architectural details of the building immediately caught the eye of the passing tourists.
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  1. 3 ability to judge (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the ability to notice things or judge them well.

    the faculty of discernment or the ability to notice specific qualities or details.

    Example

    The designer has a great eye for colour and detail.

    Example

    Having spent decades in the industry, the editor had a keen eye for spotting talent in young, unpublished writers.
  2. 4 needle hole (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the small hole at the end of a needle for the thread.

    the small aperture at the blunt end of a sewing needle through which thread is passed.

    Example

    It was difficult to pull the thick thread through the eye of the needle.

    Example

    The tailor squinted in the dim light, attempting to guide the silk thread through the narrow eye of the needle.
  3. 5 centre of a storm (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    the calm area in the middle of a very strong storm.

    the relatively calm and clear region at the centre of a tropical cyclone or hurricane.

    Example

    The wind stopped blowing when the eye of the hurricane passed over the island.

    Example

    Meteorologists monitored the eye of the storm as it moved toward the coast, noting that the pressure was dropping rapidly.
  4. 6 opinion or view (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    your opinion or how you see a situation.

    a person's perspective, judgment, or opinion; usually used in the plural.

    Example

    In the eyes of the law, everyone should be treated equally.

    Example

    The project was a failure in the eyes of the board members, despite its popularity with the general public.
  5. 7 to look closely (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to look at someone or something very carefully.

    to observe someone or something closely, often with suspicion, interest, or appraisal.

    Example

    The cat was eyeing the bird on the fence, waiting to jump.

    Example

    The security guard continued eyeing the suspicious package left near the entrance until the police arrived.
Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ-der. Proto-Germanic *augô Proto-West Germanic *augā Old English ēage Middle English eye English eye From Middle English eye, yë, eyghe, from Old English ēage (“eye”), from Proto-West Germanic augā, from Proto-Germanic augô (“eye”), from Proto-Indo-European h₃okʷ-, h₃ekʷ- (“eye; to see”). Related to ogle. Cognates Cognate with Scots ee, eh (“eye”), North Frisian Oog, uug (“eye”), Saterland Frisian Oge, Ooge (“eye”), West Frisian each (“eye”), Alemannic German, Bavarian Aug (“eye”), Central Franconian Au, Auch, Ooch (“eye”), Dutch oog (“eye”), German Aug, Auge (“eye”), Low German Auge, Oog (“eye”), Luxembourgish A (“eye”), Vilamovian aojg, aug, oüg (“eye”), Yiddish אויג (oyg, “eye”), Danish øje (“eye”), Elfdalian oga (“eye”), Faroese eyga (“eye”), Icelandic auga (“eye”), Norwegian Bokmål øye (“eye”), Norwegian Nynorsk aua, aue, auga, auge (“eye”), Scanian yva (“eye”), Swedish öga (“eye”), Crimean Gothic oeghene (“eyes”), Gothic 𐌰𐌿𐌲𐍉 (augō, “eye”). Other Indo-European cognates include Latin oculus (whence English oculus), Lithuanian aki̇̀s, Old Church Slavonic око (oko), Albanian sy, Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps, “(poetic) eye; face”) and ὄσσε (ósse, “eyes”), Armenian ակն (akn), Avestan 𐬀𐬱𐬌 (aši, “eyes”), Sanskrit अक्षि (ákṣi). The archaic plural form eyen is from Middle English eyen, from Old English ēaġan, nominative and accusative plural of ēaġe (“eye”).

Etymology 2

Probably from rebracketing of a nye as an eye.

Word family
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