know by sight

Idioms  

1. Recognize someone or something by appearance but not know the name or other details. For example, I know a lot of people by sight from the tennis courts. [1200s]

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Example Sentences

Behind them, an enormous mother, in a brown silk dress, and the father, a rather frail little man I know by sight.

From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus

I, for one, think that there can be no greater folly than to imagine a man solicitous to serve you whom you don't know by sight.

From The Letters of Cicero, Volume 1 The Whole Extant Correspodence in Chronological Order by Shuckburgh, Evelyn S.

He was the sort of citizen you always think of last when trying to take a mental census of the people you know by sight.

From Anderson Crow, Detective by McCutcheon, George Barr

Not likely I should be such a fool as to hand the boodle over to men I didn't know by sight!

From Lord John in New York by Williamson, A. M. (Alice Muriel)

On our line we all know by sight the two fanatical checker players, bent happily over their homemade board all the way to town.

From Plum Pudding Of Divers Ingredients, Discreetly Blended & Seasoned by Morley, Christopher