boss-eyed

9.9

Having eyes that look in different directions

adjective
/ˈbɒs.aɪd/

: bizco

Despite her boss-eyed appearance, she was known for her keen insight and intelligence.

Examples

The doctor assured me that the condition of being boss-eyed was common and usually not serious.
Come on, open up, you boss-eyed git!

This Sporting Life (1963)
In the village, he was affectionately called the boss-eyed boy because of his unique gaze.

Synonyms

cross-eyed

vsboss-eyed

3 6.3

Eyes that turn inward toward the nose

is used informally in British speech to mean eyes looking in different directions

walleyed

vsboss-eyed

Specialized

1 9.9

Having eyes that turn outward and look in different directions

is a broader informal label for eyes looking in different directions

skew-eyed

vsboss-eyed

9.3

A person who has eyes that look in different directions

is the informal British word for that same condition

squint-eyed

vsboss-eyed

8.1

Looking to one side in a way that shows doubt or envy

is an informal label for eyes looking in different directions rather than showing suspicion

How Aligned

boss-eyed

9.9

walleyed

Specialized

1 9.9

Surface Forms

boss-eyed positive

Morphology

boss-eyed = boss (semi-transparent) = boss + eyed

The suffix '-eyed' clearly signals an eye-related adjective, but the contribution of 'boss' to the meaning 'cross-eyed' is not obvious to learners.

Etymology

Boss-eyed uses the part boss, which once meant a 'bump' or 'bulge', and eyed, meaning 'having eyes'. A helpful image is eyes that 'stick out' or point the wrong way, which is why boss-eyed means having eyes that look in different directions or being cross-eyed.