sight

I UK [saɪt] / US noun
Word forms "sight":
singular sight plural sights
***

1) [uncountable] the ability to see using your eyes

Wolf spiders hunt mainly by sight.

I'm having laser treatment to improve my sight.

He has lost 75 per cent of his sight in his right eye.

people with poor sight

a) the act of seeing something

sight of:

I can't stand the sight of blood.

at first sight (= when you first look at someone or something):

It was love at first sight, and they got married two weeks later.

know someone by sight (= to know someone when you see them):

I don't know him personally, but I know him by sight.

on sight (= immediately after you see someone or something):

The captain ordered us to shoot any strangers on sight.

b) any place that you can see from where you are

disappear from sight:

The rocket disappeared from sight.

hidden from sight:

Her hands were hidden from sight beneath the blanket.

within sight of something:

The ship sank within sight of the harbour.

c) the fact that you can see something

catch sight of someone/something (= to suddenly see them):

As she stood up she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.

See:

lose

••

See:

second sight

2) sights

[plural] interesting places that people go to see see the sights:

We enjoyed seeing the sights of San Francisco.

the sights and sounds:

Experience the sights and sounds of Victorian London.

3) [singular] a person or thing that you see that has a particular feature

Windmills are a common sight in this part of the country.

a rare/wonderful sight

4) [singular] a person or place that is very unusual, untidy, or unpleasant to look at

The shop was quite a sight after the flood.

See:

pretty II

5)

a) [countable, usually plural] the part of a gun or other piece of equipment that you look through in order to aim it

b) sights

[plural] an intention to have or to achieve something set/fix your sights on something:

The team has set its sights on the national championship.

have your sights set on something:

She clearly has her sights set on a top job.

lower your sights:

You should lower your sights and accept less money.

•

a damn sight greater/smaller etc — impolite used for emphasizing something very strongly

Eric is a damn sight younger than I am!

everything/everyone in sight — mainly spoken a lot of things or people

The police were panicking and arresting everyone in sight.

in/within sight — in any place that you can see from where you are; used about something that is going to happen soon

There was nobody in sight.

Political independence seemed to be in sight.

a sight more/less — a lot more/less of something

We'll need a sight more help than we've got for this job!

- in someone's sight

- in your sights

- out of sight

- out of sight, out of mind

- a sight for sore eyes

- sight unseen

See:

lose

II UK [saɪt] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "sight":
present tense I/you/we/they sight he/she/it sights present participle sighting past tense sighted past participle sighted

1) formal to see someone or something suddenly or in the distance

The sailors sighted three whales about a mile away.

2) to aim a gun at something