magnifying glass

American  

noun

• magnifying glasses
  plural

1. a lens that produces an enlarged image of an object.

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magnifying glass British  

noun

1. a convex lens used to produce an enlarged image of an object

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• magnifying glasses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of magnifying glass

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magnifying glass

Although college programs dedicate countless man-hours to cracking any secret in their opponents’ plans, turning the magnifying glass toward their own habits is a far greater challenge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

"I suppose you've got to be a bit nerdy," he says, explaining he takes a magnifying glass with him diving.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

But held under a magnifying glass and removed from the film’s fervent fanfare, those arguments fall apart.

From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026

Ternus was on the road at the supplier’s facility, and sometime after midnight he pulled out a magnifying glass to count the circles, finding that the supplier had gotten it wrong, putting in 35 grooves.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

Except now, he was the ant and I was holding the magnifying glass.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini