ˈgolden-eye
1. a. A sea-duck of the genus Clangula, esp. C. glaucion. b. ‘The bird Melithreptus lunulatus’ (Morris Austral Eng. 1898). c. The Tufted Duck, Fuligula cristata (Newton Dict. Birds 368).
| a. 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. 368 The Golden-eye..The Irides of the Eyes are of a lovely yellow or gold-colour. 1709 Derham in Phil. Trans. XXVI. 466 Anas Platyrhynchosmas Aldrov. The Golden-Eye. 1766 Pennant Zool. (1768) II. 460 Golden eye..These birds frequent fresh water, as well as the sea. 1810 Crabbe Borough, P. Grimes, Or sadly listen to the tuneless cry Of fishing gull, or clanging golden-eye. 1870 Athenæum 20 Aug. 232/3 Widgeon, teal, golden-eye, and other duck, abound in the neighbourhood of Quickjock. |
| b. 1827 Vigors & Horsfield in Trans. Linn. Soc. XV. 315 Lunulata..‘This bird’, Mr. Caley says, ‘is called Golden-Eye by the settlers’. |
2. ‘A fish, Hyodon chrysopsis, having a large eye with yellow iris’ (Cent. Dict.).
3. A neuropterous insect of the genus Chrysopa.
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp., Chrysopis, the golden eye,..a species of fly, so called from the beautiful gold colour of its eyes. 1862 Chambers's Cycl., Golden-eye Fly (Hemerobius perla or Chrysopa perla). |