eyeballs

eye-balls · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (anatomy) The plural of eyeball; the approximately spherical organs of sight in the head.

  2. 2.

    (informal) Attention or viewership, especially in media and advertising contexts.

  3. 3.

    (informal, as verb "to eyeball") To look at someone or something carefully or with interest.

Related words

See also: eye, pupil, vision
Synonyms: eyes, orbs

Etymology

A compound of Old English ēage ("eye") and ball, referring to the spherical shape of the eye. The term has been used since the 16th century. The informal sense of "attention" developed in the late 20th century with the rise of advertising metrics.