line of sight

[ lahyn uhv sahyt ]

noun

1. Also called line of sighting. an imaginary straight line running through the aligned sights of a firearm, surveying equipment, etc.
2. Astronomy. an imaginary line from an observer to a celestial body, coincident with the path traveled by light rays receivedfrom the body.
3. Radio. a straight line connecting two points sufficiently high and near one another so that the line is entirely above the surface of the earth.
4. Ophthalmology. line of vision.
5. sightline.

line of sight

noun

1. the straight line along which an observer looks or a beam of radiation travels
2. ophthalmol another term for line of vision

Word History and Origins

Origin of line of sight¹

First recorded in 1550–60

Example Sentences

Replays showed Silva ducking and not in Sa's line of sight when Stones headed the ball, so Kavanagh awarded the goal.

From BBC

Replays showed Silva ducking and not in Sa's line of sight, so Kavanagh awarded the goal.

From BBC

The suspect was able to get on to a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where the former president was speaking.

From BBC

A quick-thinking Secret Service agent had opened fire in the direction of the suspect, who was about 300-500 yards away and did not have a clear line of sight to Trump, federal investigators said.

From BBC

“What I saw made me ashamed,” Rowe said at the hearing about the clear line of sight to the rally stage.

From Los Angeles Times