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• red-eye
  red-eye

  noun

  the condition of having bloodshot eyes, as from eyestrain or lack of sleep.
• red eye
  red eye

  noun

  photog an undesirable effect that sometimes appears in flashlight portraits when light from the flash enters the eye and is reflected from the retina on to the film, producing a red colour

red-eye

American  

[red-ahy] / ˈrɛdˌaɪ /

noun

1. the condition of having bloodshot eyes, as from eyestrain or lack of sleep.

2. Informal. Also red eye, a commercial airline flight between two distant points that departs late at night and arrives early in the morning.

3. redeye.

4. an unwanted photographic effect in which a person's iris appears to be red: caused by the reflection of a flashbulb off the blood vessels of the retina.

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adjective

1. Informal. Also of or indicating a long-distance flight that leaves late at night.

   the red-eye special from New York to Los Angeles.

red-eye ¹ British  

noun

1. informal

   1. an aeroplane flight leaving late at night or arriving early in the morning

   2. ( as modifier )

      a red-eye flight

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red eye ² British  

noun

1. photog an undesirable effect that sometimes appears in flashlight portraits when light from the flash enters the eye and is reflected from the retina on to the film, producing a red colour

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Etymology

Origin of red-eye

1965–70, red-eye for def. 2

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

red-eye red eye

“It’s like when you’re on a red-eye flight trying to get some sleep and the person next to you has their reading light on the entire time,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

It started red-eye flights to get more use out of its planes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

This week, he has embraced home comforts and accepted the adulation, from his red-eye Monday practice round through to being roared on by thousands on the 72nd hole.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2025

The Dallas-based airline will also start to offer overnight, red-eye flights, starting on Valentine’s Day 2025, in five markets including Los Angeles, Baltimore and Nashville.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2024

The men drove to the airport to catch the red-eye back to Washington.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

In Atencio’s concept art, the cat featured elongated, vampire-like fangs and a piercing red eye.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025

Four months later, I noticed the little red eye spots in the eggs.

From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2022

The Kraken’s red eye is at the top of the stripe, peeking out of this illusion of water.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2022

"My life is a lot quieter now from the days of catching red eye flights to London and not returning home until late," she said.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2021

To the east, above the distant blackness of the High Mountains, the red eye of the Great Auroch glared down at them.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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