eagle eye
1. Excellent eyesight, especially for something in particular. I have an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. Don't touch anything! My mom has an eagle eye when it comes to her knick-knacks being out of place. You have an eagle eye for highway signs in the distance—what's that one say? Are we coming up to our exit?
2. An ability to discern small details; a keen skill of observation. We need to get Sally's eagle eye on this manuscript because she'll be sure to spot any errors. I knew you'd pick out subtle throwbacks to other movies in the series—you've always had an eagle eye for that sort of thing. With your eagle eye, I'm not surprised you were able to spot all the differences between the two pictures.
3. An attentive gaze. You need to keep an eagle eye on the kids because they will get into everything the minute you turn your back. Keep an eagle eye on that spider while I get something to trap it in! I wouldn't keep such an eagle eye on the interns if they could be trusted to actually do their work.
4. One who is apt to discern small details or pay close attention to someone or something. Ugh, I got a demerit because some eagle eye saw me with my shirt untucked during yesterday's assembly. Sally's an eagle eye, so have her look at your manuscript—she'll be sure to spot any errors. Of course I'm an eagle eye now—I'm a mom of three small children!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
eagle eye
acute eyesight; an intently watchful eye. (From the sharp eyesight of the eagle.) The students wrote their essays under the eagle eye of the headmaster. The umpire kept his eagle eye on the tennis match.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
eagle eye
Unusually keen sight; also, keen intellectual vision. For example, Antiques dealers have an eagle eye for valuable objects, or A good manager has an eagle eye for employee errors. [Late 1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
an eagle eye
If someone has an eagle eye, they watch things carefully and are good at noticing things. No antiques shop, market or furniture shop escapes her eagle eye. Phil's played first-class cricket for five years in England under the eagle eye of our umpires. You must watch builders with an eagle eye because some will cheat the minute you turn your back. Note: You can also say that someone keeps an eagle eye on someone or something. Managers of Europe's top clubs are keeping an eagle eye on the World Championships, hoping to snap up new talent. Note: You can also describe someone as eagle-eyed. As the band were passing through security, an eagle-eyed official spotted an 18-inch knife in their luggage. Note: Eagles have very good eyesight, and are able to see small animals or objects from a great height.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
an/somebody’s ˌeagle ˈeye
(informal) if somebody has an eagle eye, they watch things carefully and are good at noticing things: Nothing the staff did escaped the eagle eye of the manager (= he saw everything they did). ▶ ˌeagle-ˈeyed adj.: An eagle-eyed student spotted the mistake.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017