Main Entry:

¹sight

Pronunciation:

\ˈsīt\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English gesiht faculty or act of sight, thing seen; akin to Old High German gisiht sight, Old English sēon to see

Date:

before 12th century

1: something that is seen : spectacle2 a: a thing regarded as worth seeing —usually used in plural <the sights of the city> b: something ludicrous or disorderly in appearance <you look a sight>3 achiefly dialect : a great number or quantity b: a good deal : lot <a far sight better> <not by a damn sight>4 a: the process, power, or function of seeing ; specifically : the physical sense by which light stimuli received by the eye are interpreted by the brain and constructed into a representation of the position, shape, brightness, and usually color of objects in space b: mental or spiritual perception c: mental view ; specifically : judgment5 a: the act of looking at or beholding b: inspection, perusal c: view, glimpse d: an observation to determine direction or position (as by a navigator)6 a: a perception of an object by or as if by the eye <never lost sight of the objective> b: the range of vision <was nowhere in sight>7: presentation of a note or draft to the maker or draftee : demand8 a: a device that aids the eye in aiming or in finding the direction of an object bplural : aspiration <set her sights on a medical career>

— in sight

: at or within a reasonable distance or time

— on sight

: as soon as seen <ordered to shoot on sight>

— out of sight

1: beyond comparison2: beyond all expectation or reason3—used as a generalized expression of approval

— sight for sore eyes

: one whose appearance or arrival is an occasion for joy or relief