catseye
catseye Lexical Profile
catseye Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A retroreflective safety device embedded in the surface of a road to mark lanes or hazards in the dark when illuminated by vehicle headlights.
"The glowing catseyes along the winding country road guided the driver safely through the dense fog."
Any of various cabochon-cut gemstones, especially chrysoberyl or quartz, that display a narrow, shifting band of reflected light across the center resembling the slit pupil of a cat's eye.
"The jeweler set a polished golden catseye into the center of the vintage ring."
A clear glass playing marble containing a colored, twisted central insert that resembles the pupil of a cat's eye.
"He traded two ordinary glass marbles for a prized green catseye on the school playground."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined from the compound 'cat's eye', referencing the slit-shaped pupil and reflective tapetum lucidum of a domestic cat's eye. The road safety device was patented in 1934 by English inventor Percy Shaw of Halifax, Yorkshire.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.