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have an eye for

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have an eye for someone or something

Fig. to have a taste or an inclination for someone or something. Bob has an eye for beauty. He has an eye for color.

See also: eye, have

have an eye for something

to be able to understand and appreciate something She certainly had an eye for art, which explains, of course, why she was a successful art dealer.

Usage notes: also used in the form with an eye for something: I think I was born with an eye for beauty.

Related vocabulary: have an ear for something

See also: eye, have

have an eye for something

to be good at noticing a particular type of thing She has an eye for detail. He had an eye for the unusual and the exotic which made him a very good shopping companion.

See also: eye, have

have an eye for

1. Be discriminating or perceptive about something, as in She has an eye for decorating. [c. 1700]

2. have eyes for. Also, have eyes only for. Be attracted to or desire someone or something (exclusively). For example, It's obvious she has eyes for him, or He has eyes only for the top award. [Early 1800s]

See also: eye, have