A bullseye is the center of a target, a shot that hits the center of the target, or something that achieves its goal. Less commonly, bullseye may be used to describe a thick glass disk that is a small window on a ship. The origin of the word bullseye is uncertain, it may simply be derived from its similarity to the shape of a bull’s eye. Another origin story is that English longbow yeomen practiced their archery skills on bull skulls, aiming at the eye socket, or bull’s eye. Originally, bull’s eye was spelled with a possessive noun and is still seen that way sometimes. However, the Oxford English Dictionary only lists the one-word spelling, bullseye.
Examples
The whole debate has been drawing a bullseye on an important MonDak crop, namely sugar beets. (The Sydney Herald)
Some people with Lyme disease remember that fateful tick bite – the one that left a bullseye rash and changed their lives forever. (The Chesterfield Observer)
I already have three Robin Hoods (to hit a bullseye once, then hit it again by splitting the shaft of the previous arrow down the middle). (The Sun-Sentinel)
Tannam’s bullseye customer spec runs to two A4 pages and covers the person’s marital status, where they live, what sport they play or follow, conflicts and pain points in their business and grocery and fashion purchasing habits – so basically the whole kit and caboodle. (The Independent)
If you’d like a dartboard with Stephen Harper’s face for a bullseye, online retailer Zazzle.ca has some available right now. (The Toronto Sun)
“I think the aerospace sector fits right in our bulls-eye,” Morneau said when asked why the government was weighing aid. (The Montreal Gazette)