eyeball

eyeball
1) vb
to look at, stare at or inspect. The expression probably originated in the USA in black usage in the late 1940s. By the 1970s it was heard in Britain and Australia, especially among teenag-ers and the police. In the form 'eyeball-ing' the term can have the specific meaning of staring threateningly or pro-vocatively.
Villains call it clocking in Leeds, eye-balling in Manchester and screwing in London's East End...It came as a shock: juries can be intimidated by a stare.' (Sunday Times, 5 June 1988)
2) n
British
a.
a surveillance operation, in the jargon of the CID and the Flying Squad in partic-ular
We've been on eyeball for a week now. b. 'visual contact', a sighting. Another police term, employed, e.g., during a stakeout or surveillance operation.
► Do you have an eyeball on suspect one?

Contemporary slang . 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • eyeball — ► NOUN ▪ the round part of the eye of a vertebrate, within the eyelids and socket. ► VERB informal, chiefly N. Amer. ▪ stare at closely. ● eyeball to eyeball Cf. ↑eyeball to eyeball …   English terms dictionary

  • Eyeball — Eyeball  система удаленного видеонаблюдения. Разработан израильской оборонной компании ODF Optronics. Предназначен для выполнения поисковых и обследовательских работ. Система Eyeball выполнена в виде резинового шара размером с бейсбольный… …   Википедия

  • eyeball — ☆ eyeball [ī′bôl΄] n. the ball shaped part of the eye, enclosed by the socket and eyelids vt., vi. Informal to observe, examine, measure, etc. (something) visually to observe, examine, measure, etc. (something) visually eyeball to eyeball Slang… …   English World dictionary

  • Eyeball — Eye ball , n. The ball or globe of the eye. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • eyeball — (n.) also eye ball, 1580s, from EYE (Cf. eye) (n.) + BALL (Cf. ball) (n.1). As a verb, 1901, American English slang. Related: Eyeballed; eyeballing …   Etymology dictionary

  • eyeball — [[t]a͟ɪbɔːl[/t]] eyeballs, eyeballing, eyeballed 1) N COUNT Your eyeballs are your whole eyes, rather than just the part which can be seen between your eyelids. 2) VERB If you eyeball someone or something, you stare at them. [INFORMAL] [V n] The… …   English dictionary

  • eyeball — eyeballer, n. /uy bawl /, n. 1. the ball or globe of the eye. v.t. 2. Informal. to look at, check, or observe closely: two opponents eyeballing each other. [1580 90; 1900 05 for def. 2; EYE + BALL1] * * * ▪ anatomy  spheroidal structure… …   Universalium

  • eyeball — 1 noun (C) 1 the round ball that forms the whole of your eye, including the part inside your head 2 eyeball to eyeball if two people are eyeball to eyeball, they are directly facing each other, especially in an angry or threatening way: an… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • eyeball — I UK [ˈaɪˌbɔːl] / US [ˈaɪˌbɔl] noun [countable] Word forms eyeball : singular eyeball plural eyeballs the whole round ball that forms your eye • be up to your eyeballs in something eyeball to eyeball II UK [ˈaɪˌbɔːl] / US [ˈaɪˌbɔl] verb… …   English dictionary

  • eyeball — eye|ball1 [ˈaıbo:l US bo:l] n 1.) the round ball that forms the whole of your eye, including the part inside your head 2.) eyeball to eyeball if two people are eyeball to eyeball, they are directly facing each other, especially in an angry or… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • eyeball — /ˈaɪbɔl / (say uybawl) noun 1. the ball or globe of the eye. –verb (t) 2. Colloquial to look at, especially to observe closely. 3. to inspect (an object) directly as with the naked eye or through a telescope, as opposed to indirect inspection, as …  

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”