speculum

American  

[spek-yuh-luhm] / ˈspɛk yə ləm /

noun

specula, plural speculums plural

1. a mirror or reflector, especially one of polished metal, as on a reflecting telescope.

2. speculum metal.

3. Surgery. an instrument for rendering a part accessible to observation, as by enlarging an orifice.

4. Ornithology. a lustrous or specially colored area on the wings of certain birds.

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speculum British  

/ ˈspɛkjʊləm /

noun

1. a mirror, esp one made of polished metal for use in a telescope, etc

2. med an instrument for dilating a bodily cavity or passage to permit examination of its interior

3. a patch of distinctive colour on the wing of a bird, esp in certain ducks

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• specula
  plural
• speculums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of speculum

1590–1600; < Latin: mirror, equivalent to spec ( ere ) to look, behold + -ulum instrumental suffix; see -ule

Example Sentences

To insert an IUD, a clinician opens the vagina using a speculum and grips the cervix with a type of forceps, which can cause a sudden, sharp pain.

From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026

“The parts that hurt for some patients — just placing the speculum is uncomfortable — placing the tenaculum is the first part that's not just pressure that can sometimes feel sharp,” Espey told Salon.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

During a cervical cancer test, a doctor will use a speculum to open the vagina and insert a small brush or spatula to scrape cell samples from the cervix at the entrance to the uterus.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2023

An exam confirmed that she needed two wolf teeth extracted and the sharp edges of some molars ground down, procedures that required propping her jaws open with a speculum.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

Under the patronage of King George, he advanced to telescopes of still greater size, his largest being no less than forty feet in length, with a speculum of four feet in diameter.

From Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies by Todd, David Peck

Related Words

• glass