bull's-eye

American  

[boolz-ahy] / ˈbʊlzˌaɪ /

noun

bull's-eyes plural

1. the circular spot, usually black or outlined in black, at the center of a target marked with concentric circles and used in target practice.

2. a shot that hits this.

3. the center or central area of a military target, as of a town or factory, in a bombing raid.

4. a missile that strikes the central area of a target.

5. the coordinates or instance of aiming and firing a missile that results in its hitting the center of a target.

6. Informal.

   1. any statement or act that is precisely to the point or achieves a desired result directly.

   2. something that is decisive or crucial; crux.

7. a small circular opening or window.

8. a thick disk or lenslike piece of glass inserted in a roof, ship's deck, etc., to admit light.

9. Optics. a lens of short focal length.

10. a lantern equipped with a lens of this sort.

11. Nautical. an oval or circular wooden block having a groove around it and a hole in the center, through which to reeve a rope.

12. Meteorology. (formerly) the eye of a storm.

13. a large, round piece of peppermint-flavored hard candy.

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bull's-eye British  

noun

1. the small central disc of a target, usually the highest valued area

2. a shot hitting this

3. informal something that exactly achieves its aim

4. a small circular or oval window or opening

5. a thick disc of glass set into a ship's deck, etc, to admit light

6. the glass boss at the centre of a sheet of blown glass

7. 1. a small thick plano-convex lens used as a condenser

   2. a lamp or lantern containing such a lens

8. a peppermint-flavoured, usually striped, boiled sweet

9. nautical a circular or oval wooden block with a groove around it for the strop of a shroud and a hole at its centre for a line Compare deadeye

10. meteorol the eye or centre of a cyclone

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bull's-eyed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• bull's-eyes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bull's-eye

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

Its red bull’s-eye symbol adorns Target Field, the Target Center arena and the downtown Target Plaza complex that houses the retailer’s headquarters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

“I think us being hunted or having a bull’s-eye, when you put on this uniform, that’s just the way it is.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2025

“They don’t care about losing their job. They just don’t want a bull’s-eye on their family.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2025

A column of smoke from the fire this weekend targeted New York City with bull’s-eye precision, prompting air-pollution warnings for sensitive groups.

From Slate • Nov. 12, 2024

She wore thick bull’s-eye glasses and she wore a huge gingham apron with pockets, and she was starched and clean.

From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• center
• dead center
• omphalos