opera glasses

Often opera glass

[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

The acoustics are best up there, and I bought a pair of opera glasses just to see her.

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People do like screens and close-ups, which make opera glasses obsolete.

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You don’t need opera glasses to see that Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” takes on more than just country music.

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Margarita Bunova had just got hold of opera glasses for the show when she heard what she thought were firecrackers, which then turned into rapid bursts that she and her husband identified as gunfire.

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In cities, people flocked to parks with binoculars — or opera glasses.

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