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, which allows scientists to see molecular structures in great detail, they examined how these filaments are built.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Using advanced tools such as scanning electron microscopy and chemical analysis, researchers examined compatibility and performance in detail.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 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

The team used advanced structural biology methods including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Thus, for relief, Maurice had taken up interference microscopy to find a trick for weighing chromosomes.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson