Sight (?), n. [OE. sight, sit, siht, AS. siht, gesiht, gesih, gesieh, gesyh; akin to D. gezicht, G. sicht, gesicht, Dan. sigte, Sw. sigt, from the root of E. see. See See, v. t.]
1.
The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view; as, to gain sight of land.
A cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts. i. 9.
2.
The power of seeing; the faculty of vision, or of perceiving objects by the instrumentality of the eyes.
Thy sight is young,
And thou shalt read when mine begin to dazzle.
Shak.
O loss of sight, of thee I most complain!
Milton.
3.
The state of admitting unobstructed vision; visibility; open view; region which the eye at one time surveys; space through which the power of vision extends; as, an object within sight.
4.
A spectacle; a view; a show; something worth seeing.
Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Ex. iii. 3.
They never saw a sight so fair.
Spenser.
5.
The instrument of seeing; the eye.
Why cloud they not their sights?
Shak.
6.
Inspection; examination; as, a letter intended for the sight of only one person.
7.
Mental view; opinion; judgment; as, in their sight it was harmless.
Wake.
That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Luke xvi. 15.
8.
A small aperture through which objects are to be seen, and by which their direction is settled or ascertained; as, the sight of a quadrant.
Their eyes of fire sparking through sights of steel.
Shak.
9.
A small piece of metal, fixed or movable, on the breech, muzzle, center, or trunnion of a gun, or on the breech and the muzzle of a rifle, pistol, etc., by means of which the eye is guided in aiming.
Farrow.
10.
In a drawing, picture, etc., that part of the surface, as of paper or canvas, which is within the frame or the border or margin. In a frame or the like, the open space, the opening.
11.
A great number, quantity, or sum; as, a sight of money.
[Now colloquial]
⇒ Sight in this last sense was formerly employed in the best usage. "A sight of lawyers."
Latimer.
A wonder sight of flowers.
Gower.
At sight, as soon as seen, or presented to sight; as, a draft payable at sight: to read Greek at sight; to shoot a person at sight. -- Front sight Firearms, the sight nearest the muzzle. -- Open sight. Firearms (a) A front sight through which the objects aimed at may be seen, in distinction from one that hides the object. (b) A rear sight having an open notch instead of an aperture. -- Peep sight, Rear sight. See under Peep, and Rear. -- Sight draft, an order, or bill of exchange, directing the payment of money at sight. -- To take sight, to take aim; to look for the purpose of directing a piece of artillery, or the like.
Syn. -- Vision; view; show; spectacle; representation; exhibition.
© Webster 1913.
Sight (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sighting.]
1.
To get sight of; to see; as, to sight land; to sight a wreck.
Kane.
2.
To look at through a sight; to see accurately; as, to sight an object, as a star.
3.
To apply sights to; to adjust the sights of; also, to give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight; as, to sight a rifle or a cannon.
© Webster 1913.
Sight, v. i. Mil.
To take aim by a sight.
© Webster 1913.