spyglass

IPA/ˈspaɪɡlɑːs/
KK[spˈaɪɡlˌæs]IPA/ˈspaɪɡlæs/

spyglass — noun

  • spyglasssingular
  • spyglassesplural

1. A small, hand-held tube fitted with glass lenses that makes distant objects appe

1.nounB1
Definition

A small, hand-held tube fitted with glass lenses that makes distant objects appear larger and closer, used when sailing or exploring outdoors to see things far away.

Example

Captain Oliveira raised his spyglass and scanned the empty horizon for enemy ships.

collocation: raise a spyglass / scan the horizon

From the observation deck, Yuki watched a pod of whales through her brass spyglass.

collocation: through one's spyglass

Common collocations
  • raise a spyglass
  • look through a spyglass
  • peer through a spyglass
  • brass spyglass
  • antique spyglass
  • captain's spyglass
Synonyms
  • telescope

    a more general and modern term for any tube-shaped device that magnifies distant objects; spyglass specifically suggests a small, handheld type

  • monocular

    a modern single-tube device similar to a spyglass, but usually lighter and made with coated lenses rather than brass

  • scope

    an informal short form, used for any optical viewing device (telescope, rifle scope, microscope); less precise than spyglass

Usage Note

This word is less common in modern speech than telescope or binoculars. It often appears in stories about sailors, pirates, or historical exploration.

Common Mistakes

I looked through the spyglass to watch birds in the garden.
I looked through the binoculars to watch birds in the garden.
'spyglass' describes a single-tube handheld telescope, while 'binoculars' (two tubes) are the usual tool for birdwatching.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to devices that make distant things look closer. A spyglass is a small, handheld, single-tube telescope — the kind a ship captain or an explorer from the 1700s might carry. A telescope is the broader category, including large astronomical instruments and modern spotting scopes. Binoculars have two tubes (one for each eye) and are the everyday tool for birdwatching, sports, and theater. A monocular is the modern equivalent of a spyglass — a single-tube device, lighter and often smaller, but made with modern coated optics rather than brass and glass. Scope is an informal catch-all for any viewing device. For example, a sailor might say 'Hand me the spyglass' in a historical novel, but a hiker today would say 'I brought my monocular' or 'pass the binoculars.'

telescope ↗binoculars ↗monocular ↗scope ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • captain's spyglass
  • brass spyglass
  • antique spyglass

Prepositions

  • through a spyglass
  • with a spyglass

Etymology

English

Formed by combining the noun 'spy' (someone who secretly watches others) with 'glass' (an old word for a lens or optical instrument). The term appeared in English around the early 1600s, when small handheld telescopes were used by sailors and soldiers to spy on distant ships or enemy movements — hence a 'spy's glass'.