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onsight

onsight

9.9
A successful first attempt to climb a route without trying it before
  • noun
  • Jargon
: ascenso a vista
  • After studying the wall, he successfully completed the climb with an onsight that surprised everyone.

Examples

  • She celebrated her first onsight of the challenging route at the climbing competition.

  • Two days ago, I felt bad, didn't know what to climb as I wanted to save onsights/flashes for another year, and now this came!

    Blog text (3)
  • Climbing the steep cliff without any prior practice was an impressive onsight for the experienced climber.

Synonyms

on the first try
vsonsight
8 3.1

Succeeding the first time you try something

refers specifically to climbing without prior practice or information

Antonyms

710 1.3

Not reaching what was planned or expected

Surface Forms

onsight singular
onsights plural

Morphology

onsight = sight (semi-transparent) = on + sight

Formed from 'on' + 'sight' and used as a noun for a climbing accomplishment; the components are visible but the event-based climbing meaning is jargon and not fully predictable from the literal phrase. [Postprocessing: moved 'on' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Onsight comes from on + sight, literally 'at first sight'. A helpful way to remember an onsight in climbing is that it is the successful first try you make right after you see the route, with no practice or tips.