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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

She got on a red-eye flight and made it to Washington in time for the Secure Rural Schools vote on the House floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

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

After the first Friday, a bone-weary Ernest Lawrence boarded a red-eye flight west for a few days at Balboa and was back in the air two days later for another grueling week.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Last week, he appeared at a military event in southern France with a red eye and at one point donned a similar pair of sunglasses.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025

Magnus Hellberg showed up to Kraken training camp with widely admired goalie pads, featuring a trailing, deconstructed “S” logo with a big red eye.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2022

The final four of those points were scored with a squinty, red eye after James took a shot to the face from Green while driving to the hoop late in the fourth quarter.

From Slate ● May 20, 2021

‘You saw the red eye last night,’ said Torak.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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