'eyeball' originates from English, specifically a compound of Old English 'ēage' (meaning 'eye') and Middle English 'ball' (meaning 'round object'), where 'ēage' meant 'eye' and 'ball' meant 'round object'.

'eyeball' changed from Middle English forms such as 'eyebal(e)' and eventually became the modern English word 'eyeball'.

Initially, it meant 'the spherical globe of the eye'; over time it came to be used simply for 'the eye' and later developed verbal and figurative senses such as 'to look at' and 'attention/viewership'.