Meanings
nounviewshed (plural viewsheds)
plural viewsheds
- geographyThe view from a particular vantage point.
The major shortcoming of viewshed analysis is the accuracy of the results.
2000, Matthew Schmidt, Radiocarbon Dating New Zealand Prehistory Using Marine Shell2 more examples
The viewshed is the area that can be "seen" (ie is in direct line-of-sight) from the specified target locations.
1989, Stanley Aronoff, Geographic Information SystemsWhilst the viewshed quantifies visibility for a limited set of test locations...
1999, Bruce M Gittings, Integrating Information Infrastructures with Geographical Information
Origin
Modelled on watershed, with view. Compare foodshed.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
viewshed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viewshed
MLA
“viewshed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viewshed. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “viewshed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viewshed.
Source: viewshed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.