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Sight vs Wight - What's the difference?

sight | wight |

As nouns the difference between sight and wight

is that sight is (in the singular) the ability to see while wight is (archaic) a living creature, especially a human being.

As a verb sight

is to register visually.

As an adjective wight is

(archaic except in dialects ) brave, valorous, strong.

sight

English

Noun

  • (in the singular) The ability to see.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thy sight is young, / And thou shalt read when mine begin to dazzle.
  • * Milton
    • O loss of sight , of thee I most complain!
  • The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view.
    • to gain sight of land
  • * Bible, Acts i. 9
    • A cloud received him out of their sight .
  • Something seen.
  • * 2005 , Lesley Brown (translator), :
  • * He's a really remarkable man and it's very hard to get him in one's sights ;
  • Something worth seeing; a spectacle.
    • You really look a sight in that silly costume!
  • * Bible, Exodus iii. 3
    • Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight , why the bush is not burnt.
  • * Spenser
    • They never saw a sight so fair.
  • A device used in aiming a projectile, through which the person aiming looks at the intended target.
  • A small aperture through which objects are to be seen, and by which their direction is settled or ascertained.
    • the sight of a quadrant
  • * Shakespeare
    • their eyes of fire sparking through sights of steel
  • a great deal, a lot; (frequently used to intensify a comparative).
    • a sight of money
    This is a darn sight better than what I'm used to at home!
  • * Gower
    • a wonder sight of flowers
  • * 1913 ,
    • "If your mother put you in the pit at twelve, it's no reason why I should do the same with my lad."
    "Twelve! It wor a sight afore that!"
  • 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, the open space, the opening.
  • (obsolete) The instrument of seeing; the eye.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Why cloud they not their sights ?
  • Mental view; opinion; judgment.
    • In their sight it was harmless.
    (Wake)
  • * Bible, Luke xvi. 15
    • That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

    Synonyms

    * (ability to see) sense of sight, vision * (something seen) view * (aiming device) scope, peep sight

    Derived terms

    * sight for sore eyes * far-sighted * in sight * insight * long-sighted * near-sighted * not a pretty sight * at sight * on sight * out of sight * * outsight * second sight * short-sighted * sight cheque * sight draft * sight for sore eyes * sight gag * sight rhyme * sight unseen

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To register visually.
  • To get sight of (something).
  • * , chapter=4
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I was on my way to the door, but all at once, through the fog in my head, I began to sight one reef that I hadn't paid any attention to afore.}}
  • To apply sights to; to adjust the sights of; also, to give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight.
  • To take aim at.

    • Synonyms

    * (visually register) see * (get sight of) espy, glimpse, spot * (take aim) aim at, take aim at

    Derived terms

    * resight

    See also

    * see * vision

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    *

    wight

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) . See also (l). The meaning of the wraith-like creature is from barrow-wights in world.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) A living creature, especially a human being.
  • * circa 1602 , , act 1, scene 3:
    • O base Hungarian wight ! wilt thou the spigot wield?
  • * 1626 , , verse vi
    • Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight
    And why from us so quickly thou didst take thy flight.
  • (paganism) A being of one of the Nine Worlds of heathen belief, especially a nature spirit, elf or ancestor.
  • (poetic) A ghost or other supernatural entity.
  • * 1789 , , lines 14-15-16
    • But I saw a glow-worm near,
    Who replied: ‘What wailing wight
    Calls the watchman of the night?
  • (fantasy) A wraith-like creature.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) Merriam-Webster, 1974..

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (archaic except in dialects ) Brave, valorous, strong.
  • *:
  • *:I haue two sones that were but late made knyghtes / and the eldest hyghte sir Tirre // and my yongest sone hyght Lauayne / and yf hit please yow / he shalle ryde with yow vnto that Iustes / and he is of his age x stronge and wyght
  • Strong; stout; active.

    • See also

    * Isle of Wight

    References

    * English terms with homophones ----