red-eye

[ red-ahy ]

noun

1. the condition of having bloodshot eyes, as from eyestrain or lack of sleep.
2. Also red eye, . Informal. a commercial airline flight between two distant points that departs late at night and arrives early in the morning.
3. redeye ( def 3 ).
4. an unwanted photographic effect in which a person's iris appears to be red: caused by the reflection of a flashbulb off the blood vessels of the retina.

adjective

1. Also . Informal. of or indicating a long-distance flight that leaves late at night:

   the red-eye special from New York to Los Angeles.

red-eye

¹

noun

1. informal.
   1. an aeroplane flight leaving late at night or arriving early in the morning
   2. ( as modifier )

      a red-eye flight

red eye

²

noun

1. photog an undesirable effect that sometimes appears in flashlight portraits when light from the flash enters the eye and is reflected from the retina on to the film, producing a red colour

Word History and Origins

Origin of red-eye¹

1965–70, red-eye fordef 2

Example Sentences

Good thing: Though he’s in town to shoot a performance for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” he’s booked on a red-eye flight to Tampa tomorrow for a stadium gig with Wallen the following night.

From Los Angeles Times

Like the Norwalk group’s image, the patch featured a red-eyed skull pierced by a lightning bolt, along with two shotguns and a “Special Operations & Tactics” label.

From Los Angeles Times

We flew a red-eye back East with my brother and his wife.

From Los Angeles Times

The Dallas-based airline will also start to offer overnight, red-eye flights, starting on Valentine’s Day 2025, in five markets including Los Angeles, Baltimore and Nashville.

From Los Angeles Times

Thursday night for a red-eye to Washington, D.C., with her two young kids.

From Los Angeles Times

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