bull's-eye

[ boolz-ahy ]

noun

, plural bull's-eyes.

1. the circular spot, usually black or outlined in black, at the center of a target marked with concentric circles and used in target practice.
2. a shot that hits this.
3. the center or central area of a military target, as of a town or factory, in a bombing raid.
4. a missile that strikes the central area of a target.
5. the coordinates or instance of aiming and firing a missile that results in its hitting the center of a target.
6. Informal.
   1. any statement or act that is precisely to the point or achieves a desired result directly.
   2. something that is decisive or crucial; crux.
7. a small circular opening or window.
8. a thick disk or lenslike piece of glass inserted in a roof, ship's deck, etc., to admit light.
9. Optics. a lens of short focal length.
10. a lantern equipped with a lens of this sort.
11. Nautical. an oval or circular wooden block having a groove around it and a hole in the center, through which to reeve a rope.
12. Meteorology. (formerly) the eye of a storm.
13. a large, round piece of peppermint-flavored hard candy.

bull's-eye

noun

1. the small central disc of a target, usually the highest valued area
2. a shot hitting this
3. informal.
   something that exactly achieves its aim
4. a small circular or oval window or opening
5. a thick disc of glass set into a ship's deck, etc, to admit light
6. the glass boss at the centre of a sheet of blown glass
7. 1. a small thick plano-convex lens used as a condenser
   2. a lamp or lantern containing such a lens
8. a peppermint-flavoured, usually striped, boiled sweet
9. nautical a circular or oval wooden block with a groove around it for the strop of a shroud and a hole at its centre for a line Compare deadeye
10. meteorol the eye or centre of a cyclone

Other Words From

• bull's-eyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull's-eye¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

The labor movement in the United States put a bulls-eye on the governor and labeled him public enemy No. 1.

From The Daily Beast

With the 2012 elections looming, centrist Democrats like Nelson have a bulls-eye on their backs.

From The Daily Beast

A couple of years back, Lindsey Graham had a bulls-eye on his back, at least among Tea Party types here in South Carolina.

From The Daily Beast

Throughout the book, Powell, Rice, and even the human bulls-eye Karl Rove, do not receive a single word of criticism.

From The Daily Beast

There he sat down in the half-gloom that seeped through the little windows of heavily leaded bulls-eye glass.

From Project Gutenberg

On this target there is no bulls-eye and all hits, anywhere, have an equal value.

From Project Gutenberg

This aiming bulls-eye is of the diameter of three bullet widths.

From Project Gutenberg

It is to make the bulls-eye of exactly the diameter of the bullet fired at it.

From Project Gutenberg

All these targets have two or more circles of count within the bulls-eye.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• center
• dead center
• omphalos