spectacles
spectacles — noun
1. Two shaped lenses held in a frame that rests on the nose and ears, worn to help
Two shaped lenses held in a frame that rests on the nose and ears, worn to help someone see clearly. A more formal or old-fashioned word for 'glasses'.
Ryan polished his spectacles on his shirt before reading the contract again.
polished + spectacles + on + cloth/clothing
Lakshmi pushed her spectacles up her nose and leaned closer to the page.
pushed + spectacles + up + nose
The old judge peered over his spectacles at the nervous young lawyer.
Beatriz cannot read the menu without her spectacles.
Andrew bought a new pair of spectacles after he sat on his old ones.
- glasses
everyday term in all varieties of English; much more common
- eyeglasses
neutral American English word for the same object
- specs
informal British abbreviation
文法句型
a pair of spectacles
wear spectacles
put on/take off spectacles
用法筆記
Always grammatically plural — never 'a spectacle' for the eyewear; use 'a pair of spectacles' for the singular count. In modern everyday English (especially American), 'glasses' is far more common; 'spectacles' sounds formal, British, or slightly old-fashioned. The shortened 'specs' is informal.
常見錯誤
2. Plural use of 'spectacle' meaning two or more remarkable or unusual scenes, even
Plural use of 'spectacle' meaning two or more remarkable or unusual scenes, events, or sights that draw the eye and attention of onlookers.
Travel writers love the strange spectacles of Iceland's volcanic landscape.
spectacles + of + place
Cyrus had witnessed many spectacles in the markets of Marrakesh, but nothing quite like that fire-eater.
witnessed + many + spectacles + in + place
Few spectacles attract more tourists than the cherry blossoms blooming around Kyoto's temples.
Amira wrote about the spectacles of grief she saw at the refugee camp.
文法句型
spectacles of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually a natural or unplanned sight — landscapes, weather, crowds, scenes a writer happens to witness. Distinguish from sense 3, which is reserved for deliberately staged public shows; here the sights are observed, not produced. Much rarer than the singular 'spectacle'; common in literary or travel writing.
3. Plural form of 'spectacle' referring to two or more large public events or perfo
Plural form of 'spectacle' referring to two or more large public events or performances designed to entertain a crowd through their grandness, drama, or visual richness.
Ancient Rome staged enormous spectacles in the Colosseum to entertain its citizens.
staged + spectacles + in + venue
The festival featured nightly spectacles of music, fireworks, and dance until the end of August.
spectacles + of + three nouns (music, fireworks, dance)
Sumin organizes outdoor spectacles for the city's summer arts programme.
Eitan grew up watching the grand opening spectacles of Tel Aviv's annual film festival.
- shows
broader and more everyday term
- extravaganzas
stresses lavish scale and expense
- pageants
costumed processions or competitions specifically
文法句型
organize/stage + spectacles
用法筆記
Object/subject is a deliberately produced event — a performance, ceremony, or show with organisers, a venue, and an audience. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 is always staged and planned, whereas sense 2 covers any striking sight a person merely happens to see. Verbs like 'stage', 'organize', and 'put on' signal this sense.
4. Coloured rings or markings circling an animal's eyes that resemble eyewear resti
Coloured rings or markings circling an animal's eyes that resemble eyewear resting on its face.
The raccoon's black spectacles make its face instantly recognizable.
spectacles + on/around + animal's face
Anong's field guide explained that the bird's white spectacles develop only in adult males.
white + spectacles + develop + in + animal
The spectacled cobra is named for the spectacles on the back of its hood.
Renata photographed the lemur's dark spectacles from less than three metres away.
- eye rings
plain field-guide term for the same markings
- eye patches
used for solid coloured patches rather than ring shapes
文法句型
spectacles around the eyes
用法筆記
Specialist zoology and field-guide usage. The related adjective 'spectacled' (as in 'spectacled bear', 'spectacled cobra') is much more common than this noun sense. Subject is typically an animal (raccoon, lemur, cobra, certain birds).