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Glite Dictionary
⚓ A rope holder 🎯 An expert marksman
deadeye

deadeye

1 8.8
A very accurate shooter who can hit small targets from a distance
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛdaɪ/
translation icon : tirador experto
  • Dad, in addition to being a deadeye shot, trained many young hunters in the art of marksmanship.
  • deadeye shooter

Examples

  • Dad, in addition to being a deadeye shot, was also a gunsmith.

    Blog text (6)

  • This man turned out to be a deadeye shot, which people aren't supposed to be, and he killed a whole covey of police before they finished him.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • This barkeep, Sam Lewis, was known to be a hothead and a deadeye shot with his Marlin .44; he could shoot a man's bung hole out so clean he'd wonder if he might have cut a fart.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Mister Watson was a deadeye shot known for his incredible accuracy with a rifle.

  • The team celebrated their victory thanks to their deadeye shooter who landed every crucial shot.

Synonyms

sharpshooter
vsdeadeye
24 5.2

A person who can hit targets very accurately with a gun or in sport

focuses more narrowly on personal expert accuracy with firearms
marksman
vsdeadeye
18 5.9

A person who shoots very accurately with a gun

stresses even higher precision and exceptional marksmanship than general skill
crack shot
vsdeadeye
4 6.5

A person who hits targets very accurately with a gun

is the expert who emphasises exceptional accuracy rather than just excellence
shootist
vsdeadeye
  • Archaic
1 8.2

A person who is very good at using guns and hitting targets

places stronger emphasis on being an exceptionally accurate expert shooter

Antonyms

inaccurate
113 4.3

Not correct or exact, with mistakes

How Accurate

sharpshooter
24 5.2
deadeye
1 8.8
marksman
18 5.9
shot
87 4.2

Surface Forms

deadeye singular
deadeyes plural

Morphology

deadeye = dead + eye (semi-transparent) = dead + eye

The meaning 'an exceptionally accurate shooter' is a metaphorical extension of 'dead' (deadly/precise) + 'eye' (sight/aim) and many learners can infer this, though it's idiomatic.

Etymology

Deadeye for a great shooter comes from dead + eye, the idea of an 'eye' that is 'dead' or fixed on the target. So a deadeye is someone who aims exactly and often hits the bullseye.