backsight

noun, verb — 4 senses

backsight

noun

Etymology From back + sight.

The rear sight of a firearm.

Holonym: iron sights

Geography, Natural sciences, 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).

Geography, Natural sciences, Surveying A measurement of a previously shot point, used to set the angle to zero when occupying a new position.

Derived terms: blow a backsight

backsight

verb

Etymology From back + sight.

Geography, Natural sciences, Surveying To shoot a backsight.

Related terms: foresight, hindsight

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.