sight

sight1 [ saıt ] noun ***

1. ) uncount the ability to see using your eyes: EYESIGHT, VISION:

I'm having laser treatment to improve my sight.

Wolf spiders hunt mainly by sight.

=> SECOND SIGHT

a ) the act of seeing something:

sight of: I can't stand the sight of blood.

know someone by sight (=to know someone when you see them): I don't know him personally, but I know him by sight.

at first sight (=when you first look at someone or something): It was love at first sight, and they got married two weeks later.

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: VIEW:

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 harbor.

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.

=> LOSE

2. ) singular a person or place that is very unusual, messy, or unpleasant to look at:

The store was quite a sight after the flood.

not a pretty sight: John in his underwear is not a pretty sight!

a ) a person or thing you see that has a particular feature:

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

a rare/wonderful sight

3. ) 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.

4. ) count usually plural the part of a gun or other piece of equipment that you look through in order to aim it

a ) sights plural an intention to have or 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 people or things:

The police were panicking and arresting everyone in sight.

in someone's sight

in someone's opinion:

All men are created equal in the sight of God.

in/within sight

1. ) in any place that you can see from where you are:

There was nobody in sight.

2. ) used about something that is going to happen soon:

Political independence seemed to be in sight.

nowhere in sight: The end of the nightmare is nowhere in sight.

in your sights

1. ) used about things that you intend to have or achieve:

She'll already have Lorna's job in her sights.

2. ) used about someone that you intend to defeat or deal with severely:

They have last year's champions in their sights.

lose sight of

1. ) to no longer be able to see something or someone:

I lost sight of him but could still hear his footsteps.

2. ) to forget something important or forget how important it is:

We had lost sight of the value of true friendship.

out of sight

1. ) in a place that you cannot see from where you are:

They passed behind the hill and out of sight.

The two leaders chatted amiably out of sight of the cameras.

out of someone's/something's sight: Don't let the kids out of your sight for a second.

2. ) INFORMAL if the price of something is out of sight, it is very high

3. ) INFORMAL OLD-FASHIONED used for expressing how nice or special you think something is:

That new jacket is out of sight.

out of sight, out of mind MAINLY SPOKEN

used for saying that when you do not see or hear about something, you do not think about it

a sight for sore eyes

1. ) someone or something that you are very pleased to see

2. ) BRITISH something that is strange or unpleasant to look at

a sight more/less

a lot more/less of something:

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

sight unseen

if you buy or accept something sight unseen, you do not see it first:

Today thousands of people buy things by mail order, sight unseen.

sight

sight 2 [ saıt ] verb transitive

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