cat's eye

or cat's-eye

[ kats-ahy ]

noun

, plural cat's eyes, cat's-eyes.

1. any of certain gems having a chatoyant luster, especially chrysoberyl.
2. a playing marble marked with eyelike concentric circles.
3. cat eye ( def ).

cat's-eye

noun

1. any of a group of gemstones, esp a greenish-yellow variety of chrysoberyl, that reflect a streak of light when cut in a rounded unfaceted shape
2. Also calledataata a grazing marine gastropod, Turbo smaragdus , of New Zealand waters

Word History and Origins

Origin of cat's eye¹

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

From Eilish’s heart-stopping performance of “What Was I Made For?” — wearing cat’s-eye sunglasses and a 1960s sweater like Peggy Olson from “Mad Men” — to Tracy Chapman’s watery eyes, Mitchell’s joy and Swift’s queenly confidence accepting her fourth album of the year, the narrative of the night was all about the excellence and the empowered voices of women.

From New York Times

But to appreciate the scintillating wit and improvisational raillery of the Australian hausfrau with the wisteria wig and cat’s-eye glasses, it was necessary to be within striking distance of one of Dame Edna’s gladioli, which she would fire into the audience with the same missile-like precision of one of her devastatingly funny barbs.

From Los Angeles Times

"New Age" Tori looks like a hipster librarian, with dark hair flipped at the ends and cat's-eye glasses, while the titular character has dramatic eye makeup, a shag cut, and a shirt that says, "Satin Worship."

From Salon

You can go a little overboard in planning your own outfit and hairstyle on that same night if she’s up for it, so the proposition isn’t “Have fun drawing the perfect cat’s-eye, I’ll be looking exactly the same as usual.”

From Slate

And her mother, in cat’s-eye 1950s glasses, asking, “What is wrong with it?”

From Washington Post