bird's-eye

[burdz-ahy]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bird's-eye ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

seen from above, as by a bird in flight; panoramic: a bird's-eye view of the city.

omitting many details; hasty; superficial; general: a bird's-eye view of ancient history.

having spots or markings resembling the eyes of a bird: bird's-eye tweed.

noun, plural bird's-eyes.

any of various plants having small, round, bright-colored flowers, as a primrose, Primula farinosa, or a speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys.

Textiles.

a woven, allover pattern on fabrics, characterized chiefly by small diamond shapes resembling the eyes of a bird.
a fabric having this pattern, especially a cotton used for diapers or a linen used for toweling.

Origin of bird's-eye

First recorded in 1590–1600; bird + 's¹ + eye

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bird's-eye

scenic, across-the-board, broad, thorough, wholesale, comprehensive, radical, extensive, exhaustive, all-encompassing, full, complete, exaggerated, blanket, overall, general, all-around, all-inclusive, far-reaching, all-embracing

British Dictionary definitions for bird's-eye

bird's-eye

adjective

seen or photographed from high above
summarizing the main points of a topic; summary (esp in the phrase bird's-eye view)

having markings resembling birds' eyes

noun

bird's-eye primrose a Eurasian primrose, Primula farinosa, having clusters of purplish flowers with yellow centres

bird's-eye speedwell the usual US name for germander speedwell

any of several other plants having flowers of two contrasting colours

a pattern in linen and cotton fabrics, made up of small diamond shapes with a dot in the centre of each

a linen or cotton fabric with such a pattern

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012