bare-eyed
|bare-eyed|
🇺🇸
/ˌbɛrˈaɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˌbeəˈaɪd/
seen without optical aid
Etymology
'bare-eyed' is a compound of 'bare' + 'eye' in modern English; 'bare' in this sense means 'uncovered' or 'naked', combined with 'eye' meaning the organ of sight.
'bare' comes from Old English 'bær' meaning 'naked, uncovered', and 'eye' comes from Old English 'ēage'. The two words were used together in Middle English and later formed the compound adjective 'bare-eyed' in Modern English.
Initially it meant 'having uncovered eyes' (literally 'eyes without covering'); over time the sense specialized to 'visible to the naked eye' or 'perceptible without instruments'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
visible to the naked eye; perceivable without optical aid (e.g., telescope or microscope).
On a very clear night the nebula was bare-eyed visible to anyone away from city lights.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/15 01:37