open sight

noun

1. (on a firearm) a rear sight consisting of a notch across which the gunner aligns the front sight on the target.

Word History and Origins

Origin of open sight¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

A deadly-looking artillery piece was positioned to fire directly, over open sights, at anything coming down the road that Dragan decided was a threat.

From BBC

In a correspondence beginning in 1668, Hooke implored him to switch to telescopic sights, but Hevelius stubbornly refused, claiming that he could do just as well with open sights.

From Literature

The floor drain should be in the center of the room, in open sight, and the floor should gently slope to the drain.

From Washington Post

This is particularly true in the age of the open floor plan, where people knock down walls for open sight lines in their homes.

From Scientific American

Backers as well as opponents of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have expressed concerns about the prospect of weapons being carried in open sight around the convention site.

From Reuters