bird's-eye
Americanadjective
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seen from above, as by a bird in flight; panoramic.
a bird's-eye view of the city.
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omitting many details; broad; superficial; general.
a bird's-eye view of ancient history.
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having spots or markings resembling the eyes of a bird.
bird's-eye tweed.
noun
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any of various plants having small, round, bright-colored flowers, as a primrose, Primula farinosa, or a speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys.
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Textiles.
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a woven, allover pattern on fabrics, characterized chiefly by small diamond shapes resembling the eyes of a bird.
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a fabric having this pattern, especially a cotton used for diapers or a linen used for toweling.
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adjective
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seen or photographed from high above
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summarizing the main points of a topic; summary (esp in the phrase bird's-eye view )
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having markings resembling birds' eyes
noun
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a Eurasian primrose, Primula farinosa , having clusters of purplish flowers with yellow centres
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the usual US name for germander speedwell
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any of several other plants having flowers of two contrasting colours
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a pattern in linen and cotton fabrics, made up of small diamond shapes with a dot in the centre of each
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a linen or cotton fabric with such a pattern
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bird's-eye
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.
See Examples For:
A glowing Ferris wheel churned nearby, offering a bird’s-eye view of the main stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
For that reason, I suggest you enlist independent third-party help: a fee-only fiduciary who can give you a bird’s-eye view of your finances and who has no incentive to sell you another policy.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
The movie opens with a bird’s-eye view of Los Angeles’ picturesque skylines, reservoirs and grassy hillsides before the bold-faced title appears, accompanied by ominous music courtesy of legendary composer John Williams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
On Sunday, the researchers started by launching a drone from the pitching deck of their boat to get a bird’s-eye view of the large, dark shapes meandering lazily through the surf zone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2025
She steadies herself against the whorled bird’s-eye maple console table in our foyer, my parents’ first flea market find as a couple, years before they had me.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
They were a beautiful blue, not like any other blue, not like the violets in the garden, or the sky over the trees, or the geranium in the grass, or the bird's-eyes by the path.
From The Open Air by Jefferies, Richard
The little blossoms have a peculiarly fresh and winsome look, and are called "bird's-eyes" by the children.
From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth
The bird’s-eyes bright; Pink-tipp’d daisies; sorrel red, Drooping o’er the lark’s green bed; Oxlips; glazed buttercups, Out of which the wild bee sups; See! they dance about thy feet!
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 347, September, 1844 by Various
Logs of great value, having bird's-eyes, have often unsuspectingly been chopped up for fire wood.
From Wood and Forest by Noyes, William
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.
