What is an eye? This word sometimes slips in speech. But what is its lexical meaning? Some language units have lost their relevance. They were widely used several decades or centuries ago. But now they rarely appear in speech, few people know their meaning. The word "eye" is one of those. This article will disclose its interpretation.
The lexical meaning
What does the noun “eye” mean? With the help of the explanatory dictionary, one can find its meaning.
An eye is a different name for an eye, an organ of vision. This word belongs to the category of archaisms. It has almost gone out of use.
Some enduring combinations illustrate what an eye is. The saying “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” remained relevant. Often it can be used in colloquial speech, as well as found in books. Meaning - "for the crime, the guilty should receive what they deserve."
The proverb “keep as the apple of an eye” has been preserved to this day. It is worth noting that there is no comma before the “how”. This phrase emphasizes that something needs to be protected, carefully protected, because it has great importance. The word "eye" here means a valuable item.
There is also a steady expression "in the blink of an eye." Interpretation - insanely fast, in a split second, without even having time to blink an eye.
Examples of using
Obviously, the meaning of the word “eye” is similar to the token “eye”, but it itself has become irrelevant. It is used extremely rarely. It is most often used in speech precisely as part of phraseological units. You can make several sentences with this word:
- An eye of a leopard watching a playful doe.
- A bird of prey watched me tirelessly.
- Take care of this amulet as the apple of your eye, do not give it to anyone.
- The train gained almost cosmic speed in the blink of an eye.
The meaning of the word “eye” is incomprehensible to the modern student. The noun "eye" is outdated, but it is found in a number of stable combinations. They are relevant exclusively in colloquial or artistic style of speech.