second sight
3
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɛkənd saɪt/
- Literature
:
segundo sight
- Many people believe that she possesses second sight and can predict future events.
- gift of second sight
- kind of second sight
- call it second sight
Examples
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The entire village whispered that he had the second sight.
Fiction book (1997) -
They say a baby born with a caul is given the second sight.
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I hear you have the gift of second sight.
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Well, I have a second sight sometimes that tells me what to do.
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- Because you have the power of second sight.
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I must have second sight.
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You have second sight, I see.
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Well my dear sir, I happen to have the gift of second sight.
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She has second sight.
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You're a Lowlander, Fettes, and you have no way of knowing what we Highlanders call the second sight.
Synonyms
17
7.6
A natural feeling that tells you things without using sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
14
8.8
The claimed ability to know things without using the five usual senses
5
9.8
A claimed ability to know about people, places, or events without using the usual senses
4
9.9
To know about a future event before it happens, often as a dream or feeling
1
8.7
A supposed ability to know things without using the normal senses
To know about events far away without using your senses
How Extrasensory
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'second' (an additional or other) and 'sight' (perception) together suggest an extra or alternative kind of seeing, so there is a partial, metaphorical link to an unusual perceptual ability. However, the specific sense of clairvoyance or foreseeing future events is idiomatic and culturally coded, and a B1 learner who only knows the literal meanings would not reliably infer the full meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Second sight comes from the idea of having a second kind of sight, a special way of 'seeing' things other people cannot, such as future events. So, it means 'an ability to know or see things beyond the usual senses'.