bird's-eye

[ burdz-ahy ]

/ ˈbɜrdzˌaɪ /

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See 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; broad; 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.

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Origin of bird's-eye

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

Other definitions for bird's-eye (2 of 2)

Birdseye

[ burdz-ahy ]

/ ˈbɜrdzˌaɪ /

noun

Clarence, 1886–1956, U.S. inventor and businessman: developer of food-freezing process.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bird's-eye in a sentence

Birdseye walked away with a personal profit of about $1 million and an annual salary of $50,000 to continue his experiments.
Lillian Hellman, Clarence Birdseye and Thai Jones: Must Read Nonfiction|Victoria Beale, Wendy Smith, Kevin Canfield|May 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And that was what Birdseye wanted to do; his interest in fast-freezing was as a means to an end.
Lillian Hellman, Clarence Birdseye and Thai Jones: Must Read Nonfiction|Victoria Beale, Wendy Smith, Kevin Canfield|May 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was a dark evening, and the cathedral clock struck nine as Lauretta Birdseye passed through the gates of the broad walk.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various
Lastly, the study smelt, but did not reek, of common birdseye.
Peccavi|E. W. Hornung

I can imagine no other reason why you should call the picture of Miss Birdseye a "bad business," or indeed any business at all.
The Letters of Henry James (volume I)|Henry James
He was also interested in curly black walnut and birdseye maple woods.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
Some woods, as birdseye maple, are well developed by the rotary cut.
The Principal Species of Wood: Their Characteristic Properties|Charles H. (Charles Henry) Snow

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

bird's-eye

Origin of bird's-eye

Other definitions for bird's-eye (2 of 2)

Words related to bird's-eye

How to use bird's-eye in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bird's-eye