Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

keep one's eyes peeled

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.30 in modern English

Syllables: keep- one's eyes peeled
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To be on the alert, to be watchful.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"And directly below is our Mesozoic jungle river -- where, if you are lucky, you just may catch a glimpse of a very rare carnivore. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone!"
"lookouts posted to the port and starboard bows keep their eyes peeled for the ghostly outline of approaching traffic."

Etymology

US, 19th century. Peeled probably refers to keeping one's eyelids retracted.

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

keeps one's eyes peeled (present, singular) keeping one's eyes peeled (participle, present) kept one's eyes peeled (participle, past) kept one's eyes peeled (past)

Synonyms

keep an eye out keep one's eyes open keep one's eyes skinned

Questions

What does keep one's eyes peeled mean?: To be on the alert, to be watchful.
Where does keep one's eyes peeled come from?: US, 19th century. Peeled probably refers to keeping one's eyelids retracted.

How to pronounce keep one's eyes peeled

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