# sight

Pronunciation: say "SYT" /saɪt/

## Noun

1. The act of seeing something on a particular occasion; the moment of looking at it or taking it in with the eyes.
   - Simple: The act of seeing something with your eyes.
   - _The sight of the approaching storm sent everyone indoors._
   - _She nearly fainted at the sight of the wreckage on the highway._
2. Something worth seeing; a spectacle, whether impressive or shocking.
   - Simple: A thing that is surprising or interesting to look at, whether good or bad.
   - _Tourists crowd the harbor to see one of the city's famous sights._
   - _With his torn coat and muddy boots, he was quite a sight at the door._
3. The ability to perceive things by means of the eyes; the faculty of vision.
   - Simple: The power to see with your eyes.
   - _Her sight had weakened with age, so she needed brighter lighting to read._
   - _The surgery restored sight to patients who had been blind for years._
4. Anything that is perceived by the eyes; a thing that is seen.
   - Simple: A thing that you see with your eyes.
   - _The first sight to greet travelers was the old stone bridge._
   - _A row of parked trucks was the first sight that greeted us as we came around the bend._
6. A device or small opening on a weapon or instrument that is looked through or along to aim or to find a direction.
   - Simple: A part of a gun or other tool that you look through or along to aim or find a direction.
   - _She adjusted the sight before taking the long shot._
   - _Modern rifles often come fitted with electronic sights._
7. A person's mental view, opinion, or estimation of something.
   - Simple: A person's opinion or judgment about a matter.
   - _She believed she had done nothing wrong in the sight of God, whatever her neighbors said._
   - _All people stand equal in the sight of the law._
8. A great amount or degree, frequently used before a comparative to intensify it. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A large amount or a lot. Often used to make a comparison stronger.
   - _The roads are a sight worse since the storm washed out the bridge._
   - _He plays a sight better than he did a year ago._

## Verb

5. To catch sight of something; to perceive it visually, especially after searching or watching.
   - Simple: To see something, often after looking for it or for the first time.
   - _Researchers sighted the comet just before dawn._
   - _Climbers often sight eagles circling above the higher peaks._
9. To look through or along the sight of a weapon or other instrument to aim at something or check its direction, height, or level.
   - Simple: To look through a gun's sight or another tool to aim at something or check its direction or level.
   - _Surveyors sight through a leveling instrument to check that a new road keeps an even grade._
   - _He paused to sight along the rifle before squeezing the trigger._
10. To fit a weapon with sights, or to adjust the sights so that the weapon aims true.
   - Simple: To put sights on a gun, or to set them so it aims correctly.
   - _The armorer sighted each carbine to a hundred yards._
   - _Competitors sight their rifles carefully before the match begins._

## Noun

11. The organ of vision; the eye itself. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The eye, thought of as the body part used for seeing.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The portion of a picture or canvas that remains visible within the frame or margin; in a frame, the open space or opening.

## Origin

Old English had "siht, sihþ" (something seen; vision), which became Middle English "siȝht." Behind it lies Proto-West Germanic "*sihti," basically "see" plus "-t." Its relatives include Dutch "zicht," German "Sicht," Danish "sigte," and Swedish "sikte."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sight (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).