Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun idiomatic A private
personal detective , employed to gather information about someone.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From private investigator and its abbreviation P.I., through the homophonic term eye in place of "I", and the used of eye as a reference to survellience
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Examples
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johnmperry commented on the word private eye
Also, UK satirical magazine
July 24, 2008