microscopy

American  

[mahy-kros-kuh-pee, mahy-kruh-skoh-pee] / maɪˈkrɒs kə pi, ˈmaɪ krəˌskoʊ pi /

noun

1. the use of the microscope.

2. microscopic investigation.

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microscopy British  

/ maɪˈkrɒskəpɪ, maɪˈkrɒskəpɪst /

noun

1. the study, design, and manufacture of microscopes

2. investigation by use of a microscope

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Other Word Forms

• microscopist noun

Etymology

Origin of microscopy

First recorded in 1655–65; microscope + -y ³

Explanation

Microscopy is the field of using a special instrument to observe things that are otherwise too small to see. If you yearn to study amoebas or bacteria up close, you'll want to pursue microscopy! Microscopy is an area of scientific research that specializes in using microscopes. Both words are derived from the Greek roots mikros, "small," and skopein, "to examine." While microscopy is a technical field, if you make a habit of examining tiny things up close with the help of a microscope — drops of rainwater, an insect wing, your cat's fur — that's microscopy too.

Example Sentences

Using cryo-electron microscopy, the team was able to observe how DHX29 physically interacts with the 80S ribosome, the cellular machinery responsible for protein production.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

They can even detect tuberculosis, an infectious disease that commonly affects the lungs, far quicker than it would be found in a lab using conventional microscopy, Apopo has said.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Together with colleagues, he helped design an automated platform that integrates microscopy, single cell sequencing, and artificial intelligence.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

"When we got back into this project, that was very clear. And the microscopy has gone a very long way. Back then, it was like flying biplanes. And now you've got jets."

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

But there was more to Micrographia than microscopy.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin