spyglass
/ˈspaɪɡlɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈspaɪɡlæs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈspī-ˌglas/ (ame, mw)
spyglass — noun
- spyglasssingular
- spyglassesplural
1. A small, hand-held tube fitted with glass lenses that makes distant objects appe
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.
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
The antique spyglass had a brass sliding tube and a glass lens at each end.
Kwame peeked through the spyglass and saw the mountain guide waving from the ridge.
When her father handed her the spyglass, Amara focused it on the distant lighthouse.
- 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
用法筆記
This word is less common in modern speech than telescope or binoculars. It often appears in stories about sailors, pirates, or historical exploration.