sb. and a. Also bird-eye.
I. sb. 1. A name given to several plants with small round bright flowers.
a. A species of Primula (P. farinosa) having pale lilac flowers with a yellow eye; formerly called Bird’s eyen, and now also more fully Bird’s-eye Primrose. The American Bird’s-eye is a kindred species (P. pusilla).
b. Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamædrys).
c. Species of Adonis (more usually Pheasant’s eye).
d. Robert’s Geranium, and many other plants locally: see Britten and Holland.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, II. cclxi. 638. In the middle of euery small flower appeereth a little yellowe spot, resembling the eie of a bird, which hath mooued the people … to call it Birds Eine.
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., Adonis, or Flos Adonis, Bird’s Eye, or Pheasant’s-Eye. Ibid. (1771), Primula (Farinosa), called Birds’ eyen.
1859. C. Johns, Flowers Field, 465. Veronica Chamædrys. A well-known plant, which, under the popular names of Blue Speedwell and Birdseye, is a favourite with everyone.
1868. Burgess, Old Eng. Wild Fl., 104. The Bird’s eye Primrose is … somewhat like an auricula.
1885. Longm. Mag., 311. Blue Veronica … sometimes called germander speedwell, sometimes bird’s-eye.
2. A variety of manufactured tobacco in which the ribs of the leaves are cut along with the fiber.
1861. Sala, Tw. round Clock, 40. A pipeful of the best Bristol Bird’s-eye.
II. attrib.
3. Of or belonging to a bird’s eye; as in Bird’s-eye view: a view of a landscape from above, such as is presented to the eye of a bird; a perspective representation of such a view; also fig. a résumé of a subject.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), II. 145. It exhibits an almost birds-eye view of an extensive country.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 96. A bird-eye landscape of a promised land. Ibid. (a. 1797), Lett., Wks. 1845, V. 148. The government … have … as it were a bird’s eye view of everything.
1859. C. Barker, Assoc. Princ., i. 2. Presenting a résumé or bird’s-eye view of a subject.
4. Marked as with bird’s eyes; spotted. Bird’s-eye limestone: a lower Silurian rock of North America, with eye-like markings. Bird’s-eye maple: the wood of the sugar maple when full of little knotty spots, used in cabinet-making. Bird’s-eye Primrose, Tobacco: see 2, 3.
1665. Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 156. My wife very fine in a new yellow bird’s-eye hood, as the fashion is now.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2440/4. A third [pair of stays] of Olive coloured Birds-eye Silk.
1841. Thackeray, Yellowpl. P., 22. He wore a white hat, a bird’s-eye handkerchief, and a cutaway coat.
1837. Hawthorne, Amer. Note-Bks. (1871), I. 81. Finished off with bird’s-eye maple and mahogany.
