hand lens

American  

noun

1. a magnifying glass designed to be held in the hand.

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Etymology

Origin of hand lens

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

“We needed to lay on our bellies with a hand lens to observe the plant,” Guilliams said in an email.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2023

This is where that hand lens is useful again, to distinguish between the two.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2021

The Dunham Classification is based on rock texture, which is visible to the naked eye or using a hand lens and is easier for field applications.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

“I had my hand lens and binoculars and a notebook,” he said.

From New York Times • Oct. 22, 2012

Much of the seaweed from deeper bottoms seems to be covered with a dense fur, which under a hand lens resolves into beautiful hydroids,—near relatives of the anemones and corals.

From The Log of the Sun A Chronicle of Nature's Year by Beebe, William