binoculars
Britishplural noun
Explanation
Birdwatchers often use binoculars to get a better look at their feathered friends. When you look through binoculars, far-off things appear much closer. Binoculars are like a telescope for both eyes at the same time — they make it possible to see distant objects more clearly. Sailors, hikers, tourists, and soldiers all occasionally use binoculars, and so do some audience members at the opera, who use special small binoculars called "opera glasses." The noun comes from an adjective, binocular, which means "having two eyes," or "involving both eyes," from the Latin bini, "two by two" and ocularis, "of the eye."
Vocabulary lists containing binoculars
It Takes Two: Bi
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Some Latin-based Words
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: bi-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dozens of locals, some equipped with binoculars and long-lensed cameras, gathered near the air base's perimeter fence to watch the highly anticipated arrival of the jets.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Olsi produced some binoculars and showed me egrets, plovers, ducks, cormorants, bee-eaters, a pelican.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
At around magnitude 8, the distant planet is too dim to spot without optical assistance, so binoculars or a telescope will be needed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
Harwood-Bellis apologised for making a binoculars gesture during their play-off semi-final second leg victory over Middlesbrough.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
I got the binoculars and saw that it was narrow and straight; it was smoke from a small fire.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
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