opera glasses

[ op-er-uh glas-iz, glah-siz, op-ruh ]

plural noun

1. a small, low-power pair of binoculars for use at plays, concerts, and the like.

opera glasses

plural noun

1. small low-powered binoculars used by audiences in theatres and opera houses

Word History and Origins

Origin of opera glasses¹

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

A débutante destined to a higher kind of success, Ada Cavendish, regaled the opera-glasses with the sight of her beauty as Venus.

From Project Gutenberg

He could see opera-glasses levelled on her from the boxes overhead, and over the edge of the dress circle.

From Project Gutenberg

Then she took up an object which looked like (and indeed was) the half of a pair of opera-glasses with the glass taken out.

From Project Gutenberg

Reasoning thus, Richard raised his opera glasses and swept those many superimposed ranges of waxen cells.

From Project Gutenberg

The colored images that are sometimes seen in cheap opera glasses show the result of not using achromatic lenses.

From Project Gutenberg