Eyeball

//ˈaɪ.bɔl// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The ball of the eye.

    "Near-synonym: eye"

  2. 2
    the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye wordnet
  3. 3
    An instance of eyeballing something.

    "Give this report an eyeball, will you please?"

  4. 4
    Surveillance. informal

    "Intelligence work is necessarily limited in scope by the capacity of national surveillance systems. […] Ultimately, it is only when you have an 'eyeball' or the electronic equivalent on a suspect that you have a reasonable chance of a preventive intervention."

  5. 5
    A readership or viewership. in-plural

    "We need compelling content for the new Web site so we can attract more eyeballs."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A face-to-face meeting. slang

    "We had an eyeball last year."

  2. 7
    A favourite or pet; the apple of someone's eye. Caribbean
Verb
  1. 1
    To gauge, estimate or judge by eye, rather than measuring precisely; to look or glance at. informal, transitive

    "A good cook can often just eyeball the correct quantities of ingredients."

  2. 2
    look at wordnet
  3. 3
    To stare at intently. informal, transitive

    "Are you eyeballing my girl?"

  4. 4
    To roll one's eyes. intransitive

    "Guardiola strode on to the pitch at half-time to remonstrate with the Spanish referee, Antonio Mateu Lahoz, but went too far with his eyeballing and matador-like hand movements. He was “upstairs”, in the Colin Bell stand, to watch Liverpool’s second-half turnaround and a dismal seven days for City take another turn for the worse."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From eye + ball. Compare Middle English balle off the eye, balle of þe eyȝe (“eyeball”, literally “ball of the eye”).

Etymology 2

From eye + ball. Compare Middle English balle off the eye, balle of þe eyȝe (“eyeball”, literally “ball of the eye”).

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