WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈpri•vate ˈeye, n. [countable] [Informal.]
  1. Slang Termsa private detective.
See -priv-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pri′vate eye′, [Slang.]
  1. Slang Termsa private detective.
  • eye, allusive phonetic rendering of I, abbreviation of investigator 1935–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
private eye
  1. a private detective
'private eye' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
eye

Forum discussions with the word(s) "private eye" in the title:


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