gimlet eye
Americannoun
-
a sharp or piercing glance.
-
an eye that appears to give a sharp or piercing look.
Other Word Forms
- gimlet-eyed adjective
Etymology
Origin of gimlet eye
First recorded in 1815–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland keeps a gimlet eye on inflation data, and it has some estimates.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025
His Napoleon views the world with a gimlet eye and firmly compressed lips.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023
Both novels were ambitious works that sought to dismantle the unfulfilled promises of America through the gimlet eye of the white working class.
From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2023
Crafting a coming-of-age story about a queer character enduring postcapitalism with a gimlet eye, the author is simultaneously hilarious, tender and meaningful.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2022
“I don’t believe that my particular body structure is easily adaptable to that type of device,” Ignatius observed, a gimlet eye fixed upon the rusting stool.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
