EYE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does eye mean? 

• EYE (noun)
  The noun EYE has 5 senses:

1. the organ of sight

2. good discernment (either visually or as if visually)

3. attention to what is seen

4. an area that is approximately central within some larger region

5. a small hole or loop (as in a needle)

  Familiarity information: EYE used as a noun is common.

• EYE (verb)
  The verb EYE has 1 sense:

1. look at

  Familiarity information: EYE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EYE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The organ of sight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

eye; oculus; optic

Hypernyms ("eye" is a kind of...):

receptor; sense organ; sensory receptor (an organ having nerve endings (in the skin or viscera or eye or ear or nose or mouth) that respond to stimulation)

Meronyms (parts of "eye"):

uveoscleral pathway (a tubule that drains excess aqueous humor)

arteria ciliaris; ciliary artery (one of several arteries supplying the choroid coat of the eye)

iris (muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the amount of light that enters the eye; it forms the colored portion of the eye)

crystalline lens; lens; lens of the eye (biconvex transparent body situated behind the iris in the eye; its role (along with the cornea) is to focus light on the retina)

arteria centralis retinae; central artery of the retina (a branch of the ophthalmic artery; enters the eyeball with the optic nerve)

arteria lacrimalis; lacrimal artery (an artery that originates from the ophthalmic artery and supplies the lacrimal gland and rectal eye muscles and the upper eyelid and the forehead)

lacrimal vein; vena lacrimalis (drains the lacrimal gland; empties into the superior ophthalmic vein)

lacrimal apparatus (the structures that secrete and drain tears from the eye)

retina (the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve)

sclera; sclerotic coat (the whitish fibrous membrane (albuginea) that with the cornea forms the outer covering and protection of the eyeball)

musculus sphincter pupillae; pupillary sphincter (a ring of smooth muscle surrounding the iris)

aperture (a natural opening in something)

cornea (the transparent dome-shaped anterior portion of the outer covering of the eye; it covers the iris and pupil and is continuous with the sclera)

eye muscle; ocular muscle (one of the small muscles of the eye that serve to rotate the eyeball)

eyeball; orb (the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye)

conjunctiva (a transparent lubricating mucous membrane that covers the eyeball and the under surface of the eyelid)

nictitating membrane; third eyelid (a protective fold of skin in the eyes of reptiles and birds and some mammals)

epicanthic fold; epicanthus (a vertical fold of skin over the nasal canthus; typical for many east Asian peoples; sometimes occurs in Down's syndrome)

canthus (either of the corners of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet)

eyelid; lid; palpebra (either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye)

ciliary body (the part of the tunic of the eye between the choroid coat and the iris)

choroid; choroid coat (a highly vascular membrane in the eye between the retina and the sclera; a dark pigmentation minimizes the scattering of light inside the eye)

uvea (the part of the eye that contains the iris and ciliary body and choroid)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "eye"):

naked eye (the eye unaided by any optical instrument that alters the power of vision or alters the apparent size or distance of objects)

peeper (an informal term referring to the eye)

oculus dexter; OD (the right eye)

oculus sinister; OS (the left eye)

ocellus; simple eye; stemma (an eye having a single lens)

compound eye (in insects and some crustaceans: composed of many light-sensitive elements each forming a portion of an image)

Holonyms ("eye" is a part of...):

visual system (the sensory system for vision)

face; human face (the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear)

Derivation:

eye (look at)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Good discernment (either visually or as if visually)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

he has an artist's eye

Hypernyms ("eye" is a kind of...):

discernment; judgement; judgment; sagaciousness; sagacity (the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations)

Derivation:

eye (look at)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Attention to what is seen

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

he tried to catch her eye

Hypernyms ("eye" is a kind of...):

attending; attention (the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others)

Derivation:

eye (look at)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An area that is approximately central within some larger region

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

center; centre; eye; heart; middle

Context example:

they were in the eye of the storm

Hypernyms ("eye" is a kind of...):

area; country (a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "eye"):

midstream (the middle of a stream)

seat (a center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised))

midfield ((sports) the middle part of a playing field (as in football or lacrosse))

medical center (the part of a city where medical facilities are centered)

inner city (the older and more populated and (usually) poorer central section of a city)

hub (a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve)

financial center (the part of a city where financial institutions are centered)

storm center; storm centre (the central area or place of lowest barometric pressure within a storm)

central city; city center; city centre (the central part of a city)

center stage; centre stage (the central area on a theater stage)

Instance hyponyms:

City of London; the City (the part of London situated within the ancient boundaries; the commercial and financial center of London)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A small hole or loop (as in a needle)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

the thread wouldn't go through the eye

Hypernyms ("eye" is a kind of...):

hole (an opening deliberately made in or through something)

Holonyms ("eye" is a part of...):

needle (a sharp pointed implement (usually steel))

Derivation:

eyelet (fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines)

eyelet (a small hole (usually round and finished around the edges) in cloth or leather for the passage of a cord or hook or bar)

• EYE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they eye    ... he / she / it eyes   
Past simple: eyed   
Past participle: eyed   
-ing form: eyeing    / eying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Look at

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

eye; eyeball

Hypernyms (to "eye" is one way to...):

look (perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot eye Sue

Derivation:

eye (the organ of sight)

eye (good discernment (either visually or as if visually))

eye (attention to what is seen)

 Context examples 

My eyes fell upon the sheep, and I asked a question which, rather to my surprise, showed that my surmise was correct.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mrs. Lexington is her name—a little, dark, silent person, with suspicious and sidelong eyes.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The lines of his face hardened, and into his eyes came a fighting light.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I’ve been on his track for years and have never set eyes on him yet.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With every rumble of wheels, too, her eyes would glance towards the door, and her hands steal up to smooth her pretty black hair.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You have an unusual buildup of planets in your house of confidential matters, so you may be working on a secret project for your firm, one you must keep away from prying eyes.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I could see distinctly the limbs of these vermin with my naked eye, much better than those of a European louse through a microscope, and their snouts with which they rooted like swine.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The hair of this man was long and matted, and his head slanted back under it from the eyes.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

There is reason that all things are as they are, and did you see with my eyes and know with my knowledge, you would perhaps better understand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)