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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

“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

That’s probably another reason I found this to be a better value than my pricier red-eye American flight to London last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

The remaining one is now being shown everywhere – a shocked Andrew leaning back on a car seat, his eyes reflecting the photographers' flashes at night in what's known as the red-eye effect.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

From their living room, the Ebel family celebrated after Brady was selected 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers, then packed up and headed for Ontario International Airport to catch a red-eye flight Sunday for Atlanta.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

Torn between his incompatible loyalties to Lawrence and to Strauss, Alvarez finally opted to serve the latter, and booked a seat on the red-eye flight to Washington.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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