shiner

Everyday

1. (informal) A black eye: a bruise round the eye from a punch or a knock. tree →
2. Something or someone that shines, like a shiny coin. tree →
3. A kind of small silver fish (in North America). tree →

In the lessons

In stories about fights and sport, «a shiner» shows someone was hit: «He came home with a shiner». In everyday talk it's informal and a bit funny. In fishing, a shiner is a little silvery fish. Phrases: «a real shiner», «give someone a shiner».

Examples

• Jake came to school with a shiner after the football match. tree →
• «Where did you get that shiner?» asked Mum. tree →
• He walked into a door and got a shiner. tree →
• The boxer had a shiner the next day. tree →
• We caught three shiners in the creek. tree →
• The new coin was a real shiner. tree →

Note

Informal; neutral words: «black eye», «bruise». A black eye should be checked by an adult or doctor if vision changes or there is bad pain. Plural: shiners.