eyeball

American  

[ahy-bawl] / ˈaɪˌbɔl /

noun

1. the ball or globe of the eye.

2. Informal.  eyeballs, people who view or read something.

   Old TV shows are getting a lot of eyeballs online.

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verb (used with object)

1. Informal.  to look at, check, or observe closely.

   two opponents eyeballing each other.

idioms

1. give (someone) the hairy eyeball,  to look at (someone) with eyelids partly lowered, as in hostility or distrust.

eyeball British  

/ ˈaɪˌbɔːl /

noun

1. the entire ball-shaped part of the eye

2. in close confrontation

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verb

1. slang  (tr) to stare at

Other Word Forms

• eyeballer noun

Etymology

Origin of eyeball

1580–90; 1900–05 eyeball for def. 3; eye + ball ¹

Example Sentences

As I lifted watermelons from the table, I tried to eyeball them and guess their size.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet we don’t feel the paranoia of eyeballs over the streets, even though it turns out that there’s no way to disguise Powell’s foxlike features under a silly stick-on mustache.

From Los Angeles Times

“At the end of the day, for women’s golf to grow, we need to get more eyeballs on it.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Streamers are looking for creative ways to stoke growth, and to prove to advertisers they have a critical mass of eyeballs worth pitching products to.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some think it is a bit of harmless entertainment which will successfully attract the eyeballs of a newer, younger audience in the age of social-media content.

From BBC

Related Words

• analyze
• check
• check out
• comb
• consider
• dissect
• explore
• inspect
• investigate
• look over
• peruse
• pore over
• probe
• scan
• sift
• watch
• weigh