eyeball
Etymology

From eye + ball.

Noun

eyeball (plural eyeballs)

  1. The ball of the eye.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], page 4 ↗, column 2:
      Goe make thy ſelfe like a Nymph o' th' Sea.
      Be ſubiect to no ſight but thine, and mine: inuisible
      To euery eye-ball elſe: goe take this ſhape,
      And hither come in't: goe: hence
      With diligence.
  2. A person's focus of attention.
  3. (informal) Surveillance.
    • 2016, Marie Breen-Smyth, The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Violence, page 384:
      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.
  4. (marketing, in the plural) A readership or viewership.
    We need compelling content for the new Web site so we can attract more eyeballs.
  5. (CB radio, slang) A face-to-face meeting.
    We had an eyeball last year.
  6. (Caribbean) A favourite or pet; the apple of someone's eye.
Synonyms Translations Verb

eyeball (eyeballs, present participle eyeballing; simple past and past participle eyeballed)

  1. (transitive, informal) To gauge, estimate or judge by eye, rather than measuring precisely; to look or glance at.
    A good cook can often just eyeball the correct quantities of ingredients.
    Each geometric construction must be exact; eyeballing it and getting close does not count.
  2. (transitive, informal) To stare at intently.
    Are you eyeballing my girl?
  3. (intransitive) To roll one's eyes.
Translations
  • French: évaluer à vue de nez, évaluer au pif, faire à la louche
  • German: nach Augenmaß abschätzen, nach Augenmaß abmessen, nach Augenmaß hinzugeben, nach Augenmaß hinzufügen



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