bird’s eye view

B

bird’s eye view

Meaning

• an overview.
• seeing something from above.
• a broad view of a particular situation.
• the view that one sees from high above.
• the large picture of something.
• a look at the entire situation from a distant viewpoint.

Examples in Sentences

1. You can get a bird’s-eye view of the city by going to the topmost floor.
2. The report’s introduction provides a great bird’s-eye view of the new project.
3. This website gives you a bird’s-eye view of the idioms used in the United States exam system since British times.
4. Could someone provide me with the plan’s bird’s eye view before we can discuss the specific details?
5. While flying into Washington, DC, we had an attractive bird’s-eye view of the US capital and monuments.
6. That’s the bird’s-eye view of what you will learn in this course.
7. Our office is located on the 30th floor. Therefore, we have an excellent bird’s eye view of San Francisco.
8. The Eiffel Tower’s top must offer a great bird’s-eye view of Paris.
9. It would be best if someone provided a bird’s-eye view of the situation before the discussion so that attendees would be familiar with it.
10. Hiking to Old Rag Mountain can provide a bird’s-eye view of the attractive fall foliage and valley.
11. The best bird’s-eye view I’ve ever had was when I was in a hot air balloon floating through Houston, Texas.

Origin

The idiom “bird’s-eye view” has been used literally and figuratively since about 1600. The phrase comes from the literal imagery of seeing things like birds do. According to word historians, people used it to describe a total aerial view before the use of airplanes was common. Navigators, cartographers, and other professionals may have used the idiom extensively, often referencing an inaccessible or theoretical view.

The idiom acquired popularity over the years as songwriters, sailors, and other people involved in navigation, where having a bird’s-eye view was advantageous, used it. As commercial air travel and satellite technology became possible, the concept became commonplace, and the phrase has remained popular.

Bird, Eyes