Meaning & use
cat's eyes
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Meanings
nounpluralBritish
Small reflective objects fixed in the road that shine back in car headlights to show the lanes.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; takes a plural verb, e.g., 'The cat's eyes are bright.'
Patterns
- cat's eyes in the road
- cat's eyes mark something
- cat's eyes reflect light
Drive carefully—the cat's eyes will guide you along the curve.
The cat's eyes on this stretch of motorway were recently replaced.
In heavy fog, the cat's eyes were the only thing visible.
nounplural
The shining eyes of a cat, especially when seen in the dark.
Grammar: Refers to the actual eyes of a cat; often used in descriptive writing.
Patterns
- glowing cat's eyes
- cat's eyes in the dark
I saw a pair of cat's eyes glowing under the car.
The cat's eyes reflected the flashlight beam.
Common combinations
- cat's eyes on the road
- The cat's eyes on the road helped drivers stay in their lanes.
- reflector cat's eyes
- These reflector cat's eyes are designed to withstand heavy traffic.
- cat's eyes shine
- At night, the cat's eyes shine brightly when headlights hit them.
- cat's eyes mark the lanes
- The cat's eyes mark the lanes clearly even in rain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- road studs
- A more technical term for the same objects; 'cat's eyes' is the everyday British word.
- reflectors
- A general word for things that reflect light; 'cat's eyes' are a specific type used on roads.
Commonly confused: cat's eyes or cat eye?
cat's eyes vs cat eye
A 'cat eye' often refers to a style of glasses or makeup, while 'cat's eyes' usually means road reflectors or a cat's actual eyes.
Practice
The ___ on the highway helped drivers see the lane markings in the dark.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase for road reflectors is 'cat's eyes' (singular possessive). 'Cat eyes' is not standard for this meaning; 'cats' eyes' would mean eyes belonging to multiple cats; 'cat eye' is a different thing (e.g., glasses).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cat's eyes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.