Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) to stare at in a chilly manner.

1965		F. Pollini Glover 355: ‘Now then, Glover,’ [...] Pause, dead-eying Glover, ‘Did you report it?’.
1995		M.L. Bradford Lowell L. Bennion 277: He dead-eyed me and said, ‘I will never ask my friends for money’.
2001		C. Stella Eddie’s World 19: Singleton dead-eyed the Puerto Rican.
2007		F. Rich Twist of Cain 19: He dead-eyed me, replaced the checkbook and came out with a fat satchel like a paymaster's pouc.
2013		K. Shea ‘Having Chiqui’ in ThugLit July-Aug. [ebook] The attendant [...] gave Luis his change, dead-eyeing the top of Chiqui’s bobbing head.
2023		F. Bill Back to the Dirt 75: Wylie dead-eyed her [...] drool hung like an unspoken testament to his madness.