monocle

American  

[mon-uh-kuhl] / ˈmɒn ə kəl /

noun

1. an eyeglass for one eye.

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monocle British  

/ ˈmɒnəkəl /

noun

1. a lens for correcting defective vision of one eye, held in position by the facial muscles

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monocled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of monocle

First recorded in 1855–60; from French, noun use of adjective: “one-eyed,” from Late Latin monoculus “one-eyed,” equivalent to mon- “sole, one” + oculus “eye;” see origin at mon-, eye

Explanation

While eyeglasses have two round lenses, one for each eye, a monocle has only one, and it's worn over a single eye. It is rare to see anyone wearing a monocle these days, in part because it is held on the face solely by tensing the muscles around the eye over which it's worn. It was a popular part of a man's stylish ensemble beginning in the late 1700's, a fashion that lasted almost 100 years. The word monocle means "one-eyed" in French, from the Greek root monos, "single," and the Latin oculus, or "eye."