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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

One Friday night last year, Akylah Cox and her boyfriend took a red-eye flight from Pennsylvania to Dublin for a whirlwind adventure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 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

Good thing: Though he’s in town to shoot a performance for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” he’s booked on a red-eye flight to Tampa tomorrow for a stadium gig with Wallen the following night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2024

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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025

The Kraken ownership and executive team has done a phenomenal job embedding the franchise’s stylized “S” logo with its singular glowing red eye on the brain of the local citizenry.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2021

"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

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

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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