Ogles

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Directs a long and often obvious gaze at someone with strong interest or desire
2. Stares fixedly in a way that shows attraction or admiration
3. Gazes intensively and openly at someone, usually with feelings of desire

Etymology: "Ogles" is the third-person singular present of "ogle," a verb meaning to stare at someone fixedly in a way that signals attraction or admiration. The root is the Low German "ögeln," which meant "to flirt with one's eyes," and it is a frequentative form, a verb built to express repeated or intense action, from the Middle Low German "ögen," to look at. That verb traces back through Old Saxon "ōgian" to a Proto-West Germanic root meaning "to show," so the older sense was closer to displaying something than to gazing at it. English adopted the word in the 17th century, and it carries an English-looking shape that is partly misleading. On the surface it appears to be "eye" plus the suffix "-le," which seems plausible, though the link runs through the Germanic family rather than being a straightforward English compound. A Dutch form "ogelen" was also proposed as a source, but no such Dutch word is attested, so the Low German path is the one usually preferred.

Synonyms: leer, gaze, stare