speculum

American  

[spek-yuh-luhm] / ˈspɛk yə ləm /

noun

plural

specula, speculums

1. a mirror or reflector, especially one of polished metal, as on a reflecting telescope.

2. speculum metal.

3. Surgery. an instrument for rendering a part accessible to observation, as by enlarging an orifice.

4. Ornithology. a lustrous or specially colored area on the wings of certain birds.

---

speculum British  

/ ˈspɛkjʊləm /

noun

1. a mirror, esp one made of polished metal for use in a telescope, etc

2. med an instrument for dilating a bodily cavity or passage to permit examination of its interior

3. a patch of distinctive colour on the wing of a bird, esp in certain ducks

---

Etymology

Origin of speculum

1590–1600; < Latin: mirror, equivalent to spec ( ere ) to look, behold + -ulum instrumental suffix; -ule

Example Sentences

There are adjustments clinicians can make to alleviate pain during pap smears, such as applying lube to the speculum, using a smaller one, or even allowing patients to insert the device themselves.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

Less than a quarter of people surveyed said they knew they could request a smaller speculum and only 12% said they knew they could ask for a double appointment.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2025

They’ve noted that the type of speculum he claimed to invent had long been in use by others and that some of procedures he utilized were not really his, or were dangerous.

From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2021

In recent years, there have been petitions to rename the instrument commonly known as the Sims vaginal speculum, a tool used daily by obstetricians and gynecologists to observe the cervix.

From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2021

And a modern improvement first used by Draper is a small rectangular prism in place of the little plane speculum, effecting a saving of five to ten per cent of the light.

From Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies by Todd, David Peck

Related Words

• glass