sight unseen

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Without having viewed the object in question, as in He bought the horse sight unseen. This seeming oxymoron—how can a sight, which means something seen, be not seen?—dates from the late 1800s.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby sight unseen

sight-read, sight rhyme, sight screen, sightsee, sightseeing, sight unseen, sigil, sigillate, SIGINT, Sigismund, Sigismund II

How to use sight unseen in a sentence

The painting, which Wynn bought sight-unseen, was then cleaned by noted New York restoration expert Nancy Krieg.
Steve Wynn's $33 Million Rembrandt|Steve Friess|August 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Some one who accepts you sight unseen, as she would any man who spoke and acted courteously?
The Hidden Places|Bertrand W. Sinclair
I didn't expect them to buy it sight unseen, but I'd planned it to give me some time until I could start the next step.
The Man Who Played to Lose|Laurence Mark Janifer
These are sold sight unseen—else, as a rule, they would never be sold at all.
How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters)|Mary Owens Crowther

If so, you will not need any hints from the librarian, and he will order your book "sight unseen."
The Booklover and His Books|Harry Lyman Koopman
I'll bet I can even put in some improvements for you, sight unseen.
The Ethical Engineer|Henry Maxwell Dempsey