stove eye
A stove burner, named for the round lids on an old wood cookstove.
Also called eye of the stove, eye on the stove, eye, stove eyes.
Updated October 24, 2026
stove eye pronunciation
/STOHV eye/
Meaning
A stove eye is what a lot of Southern and Appalachian kitchens call a burner. The name started with wood cookstoves, where you lifted a round cast-iron lid and the fire looked out like an eye. Families carried the word over to electric ranges. Put the beans on the front eye and everybody knows which circle you mean.
How folks use it
- “Set that skillet on the front stove eye and turn it down low.”
- “One of the stove eyes went out, so supper's cooking on three.”
Origin and etymology
Documented in Southern speech by the early 1900s for the removable iron lids on wood cookstoves. DARE places eye and stove eye chiefly in the South and South Midland, thickest in places like Tennessee and nearby mountains. When electric stoves replaced wood, many households kept calling the heating spots eyes instead of burners.
Frequently asked questions
Do people still say stove eye for electric stoves?
Yes. Younger folks may say burner, but plenty of Southern kitchens still call them eyes.