microscopic
Americanadjective
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so small as to be invisible or indistinct without the use of the microscope.
microscopic organisms.
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very small; tiny.
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of, relating to, or involving a microscope.
microscopic investigation.
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very detailed; meticulous.
a microscopic view of society.
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suggestive of the precise use of the microscope; minute.
microscopic exactness.
adjective
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not large enough to be seen with the naked eye but visible under a microscope Compare macroscopic
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very small; minute
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of, concerned with, or using a microscope
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characterized by or done with great attention to detail
Other Word Forms
- microscopically adverb
- nonmicroscopic adjective
- nonmicroscopical adjective
- nonmicroscopically adverb
- unmicroscopic adjective
- unmicroscopically adverb
Etymology
Origin of microscopic
First recorded in 1670–80; microscope + -ic
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.
These microscopic imperfections can shift position hundreds of times per second.
From Science Daily
These microscopic particles are thought to have existed since the earliest cells emerged.
From Science Daily
Soft tissues rarely survive for millions of years, yet in this case, even microscopic details endured.
From Science Daily
And it was about the rise of "microscopic" video assistant referee interventions.
From BBC
“Cloth cannot keep out microscopic viruses,” one character reprimands another, who prefers a scarf to his regulation mask.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
