Spanish word

rabillo

Pronunciation

IPA/raˈβiʝo/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncorner of the eye

Example

Vi un reflejo por el rabillo del ojo.

I saw a reflection in the corner of my eye.

Illustration for rabillo (corner of the eye)

More examples

Sentí una sombra en el rabillo del ojo.

I felt a shadow at the corner of the eye.

Core concept

Tail-shaped corner at the outer edge of the eye.

Common phrases

  • rabillo del ojo

    corner of the eye

  • por el rabillo del ojo

    out of the corner of the eye

Similar words

esquina: Corner where two streets or building faces meet.
borde: Thin edge or rim running along an object's margin.
orilla: Edge of a river, lake, or sea where water meets land.
rincón: Inner corner of a room, a small tucked-away spot.

Definition in Spanish

Área angular del ojo que suele usarse para referirse a lo que se ve de reojo o sin mirar directamente.

Word origin

From Spanish rabo 'tail' plus the diminutive -illo, originally meaning 'small tail' and used metaphorically for the little tail-like corner of the eye.

Usage tips

  • Frequently appears in the phrase por el rabillo del ojo to mean seeing something out of the corner of the eye, and it is colloquial rather than suitable for medical or formal descriptions.

Word lists with this word