eagle eye
eagle eye
1. Excellent eyesight, especially for something in particular. I have an eagle eye for spotting wildlife.
2. An ability to discern small details; a keen skill of observation. We need to get Sally's eagle eye on this manuscript because she'll be sure to spot any errors.
3. An attentive gaze. You need to keep an eagle eye on the kids because they will get into everything the minute you turn your back.
4. One who is apt to discern small details or pay close attention to someone or something. Ugh, I got a demerit because some eagle eye saw me with my shirt untucked during yesterday's assembly.
See also: eagle, eye
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
eagle eye
acute eyesight; an intently watchful eye. (From the sharp eyesight of the eagle.) The students wrote their essays under the eagle eye of the headmaster. The umpire kept his eagle eye on the tennis match.
See also: eagle, eye
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
eagle eye
Unusually keen sight; also, keen intellectual vision. For example, Antiques dealers have an eagle eye for valuable objects, or A good manager has an eagle eye for employee errors. [Late 1500s]
See also: eagle, eye
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
an eagle eye
If someone has an eagle eye, they watch things carefully and are good at noticing things. No antiques shop, market or furniture shop escapes her eagle eye. Phil's played first-class cricket for five years in England under the eagle eye of our umpires. You must watch builders with an eagle eye because some will cheat the minute you turn your back. Note: You can also say that someone keeps an eagle eye on someone or something. Managers of Europe's top clubs are keeping an eagle eye on the World Championships, hoping to snap up new talent. Note: You can also describe someone as eagle-eyed. As the band were passing through security, an eagle-eyed official spotted an 18-inch knife in their luggage. Note: Eagles have very good eyesight, and are able to see small animals or objects from a great height.
See also: eagle, eye
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
an/somebody’s ˌeagle ˈeye
(informal) if somebody has an eagle eye, they watch things carefully and are good at noticing things: Nothing the staff did escaped the eagle eye of the manager (= he saw everything they did). ▶ ˌeagle-ˈeyed adj.: An eagle-eyed student spotted the mistake.See also: eagle, eye
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
eagle-eye
1. n. a busybody; a person who watches or monitors other people’s actions: a floorwalker, a detective, a hall-monitor. Some old eagle-eye across the street saw me standing in the cold and called my wife who came down and let me in.
2. n. an eye or eyes with very keen vision. Keep your eagle-eye trained on the entrance.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- an eagle eye
- an/somebody's eagle eye
- eagle-eye
- have a thing for (something)
- eagle-eyed
- king of birds
- have a keen interest in
- have a keen interest in (something)
- interest
- legal-eagle