gimlet eye
Americannoun
-
a sharp or piercing glance.
-
an eye that appears to give a sharp or piercing look.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gimlet eye
First recorded in 1815–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland keeps a gimlet eye on inflation data, and it has some estimates.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025
No detail is too small for Caro’s gimlet eye, which is currently trained on finishing Volume 5.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025
His Napoleon views the world with a gimlet eye and firmly compressed lips.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023
The mission of Inside.com, which Andersen founded with Michael Hirschorn, was to report on the media, entertainment, and technology industries with a gimlet eye.
From Slate • Aug. 1, 2021
However, Dad had a gimlet eye and a terrible swift sword.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
