# backsight

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The rear sight of a firearm.
2. 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).
3. A measurement of a previously shot point, used to set the angle to zero when occupying a new position.

## Etymology
From back + sight.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/backsight