a private eye

private eye

slang A private investigator or detective. "Eye" is a pun on the letter "i" in "investigator." The disgraced police detective moved to another state and started a business as a private eye. It turned out they'd hired a private eye to keep tabs on her after she left the law firm.

See also: eye, private

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

a ˌprivate ˈeye

(informal) a detective who is not in the police, but who can be employed to find out information, find a missing person, follow somebody, etc: They hired a private eye to look for more evidence.

See also: eye, private

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017