eyes to the blind
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A staff; perhaps in allusion to that given to Tiresias (q.v.) by Athene, to serve him for the eyes of which she had de- prived him.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “eyes to the blind” mean?
A staff; perhaps in allusion to that given to Tiresias (q.v.) by Athene, to serve him for the eyes of which she had de- prived him.
Is “eyes to the blind” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.