ˈeye-witness
[f. eye n.1 + witness.]
† 1. One who gives testimony to what he has seen with his own eyes. Obs.
| 1539 Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1552) 43 One Eye wytnesse, is of more value, than tenne eare wytnesses. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 1278 Which yet to prove more true, he meant to see, And an ey-witnes of each thing to bee. |
2. One who can give testimony from personal observation; one who has seen a thing done or happen. Also attrib.
| 1590 Sir J. Smyth in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 57, I do not write the same of mine owne certaine knowledge, as a eye wittness. 1611 Bible 2 Pet. i. 16 Wee..were eye witnesses of his Maiestie. 1615 W. Hull Mirrour of Maiestie 89 The death of such a sonne..whereof shee was an eyed witnesse. 1694 Ld. Molesworth Acc. Denmark 44 Received not only from eye-witnesses, but also from some of the principal..Actors. 1744 Berkeley Siris §17 Leo Africanus..describes, as an eye-witness, the making of tar in Mount Atlas. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne i. 17 Brantome, an eye-witness..informs us. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 93 Different estimates were formed even by eyewitnesses. 1878 N. Amer. Rev. CXXVI. 180 It is the narration, by an eye-witness, of the memorable coup d'etat of 1851. 1921 Times Lit. Suppl. 10 Nov. 722/3 The aim of these volumes is to present eyewitness accounts of some of the most important incidents. 1922 C. E. Montague Disenchantment vii. 95 Eked out with ‘Eye-Witness’ stuff—official ‘word-painting’ by some Regular Officer. 1945 W. S. Churchill Victory (1946) 13 The following is an eye-witness report by another British officer. |
† 3. The result of actual observation; a report made by one who was present. Obs.
| 1627 Hakewill Apol. i. i. §5. 9 By the eye-witnesse of Ioachimus Rheticus, and others, it hath been proved. 1671 Milton Samson 1594 Give us..Eye-witness of what first or last was done. |
Hence ˈeye-witness v. trans., to be an eye-witness of (an event); ˈeye-witnessed, ˈeye-witnessing ppl. adjs. eyeˈwitnessing vbl. n.
| 1844 Kinglake Eothen viii. 145 Lamartine's eye-witnessing account of the horse saddled by the hands of his Maker. 1857 H. Miller Test. Rocks iv. 154 Had they been revealed by vision as a piece of eye-witnessing. 1905 ‘Mark Twain’ King Leopold's Soliloquy (1907) 17 They seemed to be always..eye-witnessing the happenings. 1912 W. Owen Let. 7 Nov. (1967) 167, I was so glad to hear your own eyewitnessing account of a Flight. 1923 Glasgow Herald 25 Oct. 8 An eye-witnessed incident which took place recently in this neighbourhood. 1963 ‘N. Blake’ Deadly Joker xiii. 215 A hundred people had eye-witnessed a murder. |