magnification

/ˌmæɡnɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmæɡnɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌmag-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən/ (ame, mw)

magnification — noun

1. the use of a lens or curved mirror to make an object appear larger than its real

1.名詞B2
釋義

the use of a lens or curved mirror to make an object appear larger than its real size, as with a magnifying glass, microscope, or telescope

例句

Naomi used a hand lens for closer magnification of the tiny fossil embedded in the rock.

collocation: magnification of [small object]

Under magnification, the butterfly wing revealed thousands of overlapping scales in brilliant colour.

passive construction: under magnification

同義詞
  • enlargement

    focuses on the result or the bigger copy produced, not the act of looking through a lens

  • zoom

    informal; specific to cameras and adjustable lenses, not microscopes or magnifying glasses

  • close-up

    getting physically near or photographing at very short range, not necessarily using optical enlargement

反義詞
  • reduction

    making something appear smaller, the opposite optical effect

文法句型

under magnification

magnification of + object

without magnification

用法筆記

Typically uncountable when naming the process itself. Distinguish from sense 2, which gives a specific number or ratio. Common in the phrase 'under magnification'.

常見錯誤

❌The plant's magnification took two weeks in the greenhouse.
✅The plant's growth took two weeks in the greenhouse.
💡magnification is about perceived size through a lens, not real physical growth.
❌The magnification of the earthquake was 7.2.
✅The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.2.
💡magnitude means size or extent; magnification is specifically about visual enlargement.

2. a number or ratio that tells you how many times larger an object appears when vi

2.名詞C1
釋義

a number or ratio that tells you how many times larger an object appears when viewed through a magnifying device — for example, 10× means it looks ten times its real size

例句

A magnification of 400× let Fatima observe the bacteria dividing in real time under the lens.

pattern: a magnification of [number]×

The camera lens offers magnification up to 2:1 for extreme close-up shots of insects.

同義詞
  • power

    used in compound terms like 'magnifying power'; more common in technical optics

  • ratio

    a broader mathematical term; lacks the specific optical context

  • zoom factor

    informal and specific to cameras with variable lenses

文法句型

a magnification of + number

at + number + × magnification

at high/low magnification

用法筆記

Countable when a specific figure is given ('a magnification of 400×'), but uncountable in general statements about quality ('high magnification is essential for this work'). Often used with 'at' rather than 'under'.

常見錯誤

❌The microscope has a magnification.' (without a number)
✅The microscope has a magnification of 400×.
💡sense 2 almost always needs a figure or at least 'high' or 'low' before it.