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Old English oferseon "to look down upon, keep watch over, survey, observe;" see over- + see (v.). Meaning "to supervise to superintend" is attested from mid-15c. The verb lacks the double sense of similar overlook, but it sometimes had it and this survives in the noun form oversight. Compare German übersehen, Dutch overzien. Related: Oversaw; overseen.
past tense of see; from Old English plural sawon.
"perceiving with the eyes or mind, looking, beholding," c. 1300, present-participle adjective from see (v.). Seeing Eye dog is attested by 1929, American English, trademarked by Seeing Eye Inc. of New Jersey.
Middle English sein, "visible, able to be seen with the eyes; plain, clear, manifest," from Old English gesegen, gesewen, past participle of seon (see see (v.)). From c. 1200 as "perceived, discovered." From c. 1300 as "experienced, undergone." To have seen everything as a hyperbolic expression of astonishment is from 1941 (the phrase itself is older, in "Gatsby," etc.).
He that has seen one thing hath seen all things ; for he has got the general idea of something. [Locke, 1706]
The saw or vulgar maxim about children being best seen and not heard (by 1816) was previously of maids specifically (mid-15c.).
Well, at length my wish was in part gratified—lady Cowley was announced. It has been said that women, like children, should be "seen and not heard." I am no advocate for dumb dolls, yet I object to catching the voice through long passages ere one sees the party, and in the present instance ... (etc.) ["The Spinster's Journal," vol. 1, by 'A Modern Antique,' London: 1816]
late 14c., "one to whom divine revelations are made, prophet, person who sees or foretells future events," agent noun from see (v.). Originally rendering Latin videns, Greek bleptor (rendering Hebrew roeh) in Bible translations (such as I Kings ix.9). The rare literal sense of "one who sees or can see, a beholder, witness, watcher" is attested from early 15c.
1950, from the verbal phrase, "see things on the other side of" (c. 1400); see see (v.) + through (adv.). The verbal phrase see through often is figurative, "perceive the real character of, detect imposture."
To see (something) through "continue with until the end" is by 1828 (to see (something) out in the same sense is from 1782).
Middle English had a verb thurgh-sen, Old English þurhseon "perceive; penetrate (cloth, etc.) with sight; see one's thoughts" (in reference to God, Christ). Hence thorough-seeable (16c.).
Middle English sight, from Old English sihð, gesiht, gesihð "thing seen; power or faculty of sight; aspect; vision; apparition," from Proto-Germanic *sekh(w)- (source also of Danish sigte, Swedish sigt, Middle Dutch sicht, Dutch zicht, Old High German siht, German Sicht, Gesicht), stem that also yielded Old English seon (see see (v.)), with noun suffix -th (2), later -t (14c.).
The meaning "perception or apprehension by means of the eyes" is from early 13c. The meaning "device on a firearm to assist in aiming" is from 1580s. A "show" of something, hence, colloquially, "a great many; a lot," (late 14c.). As "something that calls forth glances of shock, amusement, etc., a shocking spectacle," by 1862.
Sight for sore eyes "welcome visitor" is attested from 1738; sight unseen (adv.) "without previous inspection" is from 1892. Sight gag is attested by 1944. To feel or know something at first sight is from c. 1300. From the firearm aiming sense come in (one's) sights; have (one's) sights set on something. To keep out of sight is from late 14c.; to be out of (someone's) sight is from c. 1400.
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