Etymology

cat's eye

Today it means: A retroreflective device placed on a road surface as a marking that can be seen even at night. Full definition →

French œil de chat
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The story

  1. French · calque ofœil de chat
  2. English todaycat's eye

An allusion to the way a cat's eyes will appear to glow when illuminated in the dark. In mineralogy, a calque of French œil de chat.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.