private eye

American  

noun

Slang.

1. a private detective.

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private eye British  

noun

1. informal  a private detective

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private eye Idioms  

1. A privately employed detective, as opposed to one working for the police or another authority. For example, The children loved stories about private eyes, and Janey wanted to become one. This expression comes from the term private investigator, the “i” of investigator being changed to “eye,” which plays on the idea of a person looking into things. [1930s]

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Etymology

Origin of private eye

1935–40; eye, allusive phonetic rendering of I, abbreviation of investigator

Example Sentences

The activities in question stretch back more than two decades, when journalists and private eyes intercepted voicemails to snoop on members of the royal family, politicians, athletes, celebrities and even crime victims.

From Seattle Times

The old private eye office was maybe 600 square feet in size.

From Seattle Times

It didn’t take a private eye to find a 20-something who fit the profile.

From Washington Post

In later stories, DiDi goes to a women’s camp for the inorgasmic, becomes a private eye and marries a gay hypochondriac.

From Washington Post

So, no, the Bills are not private eyes.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• P.I.
• inquiry agent
• private detective
• private dick
• private investigator
• sleuth