different between backsight vs foresight

English

Etymology

back +? sight

Noun

backsight (plural backsights)

1. The rear sight of a firearm.
2. (surveying) A measurement or reading taken back towards a point of known elevation, used to calculate the height of the surveying instrument (theodolite, transit, total station).
3. (surveying) A measurement of a previously shot point, used to set the angle to zero when occupying a new position.

Verb

backsight (third-person singular simple present backsights, present participle backsighting, simple past and past participle backsighted)

1. (surveying) To shoot a backsight.

See also

• foresight
• hindsight

English

Etymology

From Middle English forsight, forsyght, forsichte, equivalent to fore- +? sight. Compare Scots foresicht (“foresight”), Saterland Frisian Foarsicht (“caution”), West Frisian foarútsjoch (“foresight”), Dutch voorzicht (“foresight”), German Vorsicht (“caution; care; attention”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??sa?t/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??sa?t/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?fo(?)?sa?t/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?fo?sa?t/
• Homophone: Forsythe (in accents with the horse-hoarse merger)
• Hyphenation: fore?sight

Noun

foresight (countable and uncountable, plural foresights)

1. The ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future.
2. the front sight on a rifle or similar weapon
3. (surveying) a bearing taken forwards towards a new object

Synonyms

• (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future): prescience, foreknowledge, divination, clairvoyance, prophecy

Antonyms

• hindsight

Derived terms

• foresightly
• foresighty

Related terms

• foresee
• backsight

Translations

Anagrams

• gift horse, gift-horse