| wall-eye | 1. An eye in which the iris is of a very light gray or whitish colour; said usually of horses. Jonson has defined wall-eye to be "a disease in the crystalline humor of the eye; glaucoma." But glaucoma is not a disease of the crystalline humor, nor is wall-eye a disease at all, but merely a natural blemish. In the north of England, as Brockett states, persons are said to be wall-eyed when the white of the eye is very large and distorted, or on one side. 2. <zoology> An American fresh water food fish (Stizostedion vitreum) having large and prominent eyes; called also glasseye, pike perch, yellow pike, and wall-eyed perch. A California surf fish (Holconotus argenteus). The alewife; called also wall-eyed herring. See: Wall-eyed. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| wall-eyed | Having an eye of a very light gray or whitish colour. Shakespeare, in using wall-eyed as a term of reproach (as "wall-eyed rage," a "wall-eyed wretch"), alludes probably to the idea of unnatural or distorted vision. See the Note under Wall-eye. It is an eye which is utterly and incurably perverted, an eye that knows no pity. Origin: Icel. Valdeygthr, or vagleygr; fr. Vagl a beam, a beam in the eye (akin to Sw. Vagel a roost, a perch, a sty in the eye) + eygr having eyes (from auga eye). See Eye. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |