Meanings
nounbacksight (plural backsights)
plural backsights
- geographyA measurement or reading taken back towards a point of known elevation, used to calculate the height of the surveying instrument (theodolite, transit, total station).
- geographyA measurement of a previously shot point, used to set the angle to zero when occupying a new position.
verbbacksight (third-person singular simple present backsights, present participle backsighting, simple past and past participle backsighted)
present singular third person backsights · participle present backsighting · participle past backsighted · past backsighted
- geographyTo shoot a backsight.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian мерник
- мерник (mernik)the rear sight of a firearm
Finnish takatähtäin
- takatähtäinthe rear sight of a firearm
Hungarian irányzék, nézőke
- irányzékthe rear sight of a firearm
- nézőkethe rear sight of a firearm
Cite this entry
APA
backsight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backsight
MLA
“backsight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backsight. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backsight,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backsight.
Source: backsight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.