eyeball

[ahy-bawl]

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.

verb (used with object)

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

   two opponents eyeballing each other.

eyeball

/ ˈaɪˌbɔːl /

noun

1. the entire ball-shaped part of the eye

2. in close confrontation

verb

1. slang,  (tr) to stare at

Other Word Forms

• eyeballer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of eyeball¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

As any seasoned horror movie fan can attest, few frights are as reliably nauseating as eyeball trauma.

From Salon

Equally, in the media, people who opine about politics are rewarded for being more extreme and stoking outrage — that's the way to get more eyeballs and, ultimately, more advertising dollars.

From BBC

R360's backers are interested in the missing millions - in both eyeballs and cash - between the international game and its club cousin.

From BBC

Was attracting the big names an effective way to attract more eyeballs on the sport?

From BBC

In recognition of the need for novel scares, the TV series offers a little tentacled eyeball monster, shaped and smart like an octopus, that zombifies its hosts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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