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

• 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."

Example Sentences

If not wanting my robot assistant/future overlord to have an image tool makes me an A.I. elitist, as Altman implies, then I will proudly fit myself for a monocle.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2026

A commercial artist added the top hat, monocle and cane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

“We did it under the name William Bowery. Very fancy. It sounds like a kind of Agatha Christie character that should be wearing a monocle with a big mustache.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Chris Eubank Sr wore a monocle, drove a Harley Davidson or a big fancy truck and came out with some ridiculous sayings.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2022

Clare released an exasperated growl and struck his monocle harder.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman