sights

sight  (st)

n.

1. The ability to see.

2. The act or fact of seeing: hoping for a sight of land; caught sight of a rare bird.

3. Field of vision.

4. The foreseeable future; prospect: no solution in sight.

5. Mental perception or consideration: We lost sight of the purpose of our visit.

6. Something seen; a view.

7. Something worth seeing; a spectacle: the sights of London.

8. Informal Something unsightly: Your hair is a sight.

9.

a. A device used to assist aim by guiding the eye, as on a firearm or surveying instrument.

b. An aim or observation taken with such a device.

10. An opportunity to observe or inspect.

11. Upper Southern U.S. A large number or quantity: A sight of people were there.

v. sight·ed, sight·ing, sights

v.tr.

1. To perceive with the eyes; get sight of: sighted land after 40 days at sea.

2. To observe through a sight or an optical instrument: sight a target.

3. To adjust the sights of (a rifle, for example).

4. To take aim with (a firearm).

v.intr.

1. To direct one's gaze; look carefully.

2. To take aim: sighted along the barrel of the gun.

Idioms:

on sight

Immediately upon being seen: threatened to shoot looters on sight.

out of sight Slang

Remarkable; incredible: The graduation party was out of sight.

sight for sore eyes Informal

One whom it is a relief or joy to see.

sight unseen

Without seeing the object in question: bought the horse sight unseen.

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[Middle English, from Old English sihth, gesiht, something seen; see sek^w-² in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sights - an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument bombsight - a sighting device in an aircraft for aiming bombs eyepiece, ocular - combination of lenses at the viewing end of optical instruments firearm, small-arm, piece - a portable gun; "he wore his firearm in a shoulder holster" gun-sight, gunsight - a sight used for aiming a gun optical instrument - an instrument designed to aid vision surveying instrument, surveyor's instrument - an instrument used by surveyors