eyeball
/'aibɔ:l/
Definition
Noun:
- The spherical part of the eye: The "eyeball" is the globe-shaped structure within the eye socket, containing the lens, iris, and retina.
- The eye itself: Informally, "eyeball" can refer to the entire visible eye.
Verb:
- To look at closely or intently: To "eyeball" something means to examine, measure, or estimate it by looking at it, often without using instruments.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The doctor examined the patient's eyeball for signs of damage.
- He has a distinctive blue color in his eyeballs.
Verb:
- The chef eyeballed the ingredients instead of using measuring cups.
- I eyeballed the distance and decided I could jump across the stream.
Advanced Usage
"Eyeball to eyeball": In direct, close, and often confrontational contact or confrontation.
- The two leaders stood eyeball to eyeball during the tense negotiation.
"To have eyeballs on (something/someone)": To be watching or monitoring.
- We need to have eyeballs on the entrance at all times for security.
Variants and Related Words
- Eyeball (adj, informal): Used attributively to describe metrics related to viewership or visual attention.
- The website's eyeball count increased dramatically after the viral post.
Synonyms
- Noun: Globe (of the eye), orb (poetic).
- Verb: Gaze at, scrutinize, estimate visually, size up.
Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions
- Eyeball (someone/something) down: To stare at someone in a challenging or intimidating way.
- He tried to eyeball me down, but I didn't look away.
Related Idioms
- More (something) than you can shake a stick at: An idiom sometimes paired with "eyeballs" for humorous effect to indicate a very large number.
- The concert had more eyeballs (spectators) than you could shake a stick at.
- To be up to one's eyeballs (in something): To be deeply involved in or overwhelmed by something (often a problem or work).
- I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork this week.
Noun
-
the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye
Verb
-
look at
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