- plural of spectacle.
spectacles
Britishplural noun
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Often (informal) shortened to: specs. a pair of glasses for correcting defective vision
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cricket a score of 0 in each innings of a match
Explanation
Spectacles are eyeglasses. People wear spectacles because their vision is flawed. Spectacles is an old-fashioned word, but it means something you probably see — and maybe even use — every day: eyeglasses. People who have defective vision need spectacles to see properly. Spectacles have two main parts: the lenses and the frames that hold the lenses. An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) can test your eyes and see if you need spectacles. You can also call spectacles glasses or specs.
Vocabulary lists containing spectacles
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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"Harrison Bergeron"
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New York City also has a long-standing ethos of treating celebrities as part of the fabric of everyday life rather than as spectacles too.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
Their position near eye level gives these scenes an unusual immediacy, drawing us inescapably into these harrowing spectacles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Soon, the wireframe spectacles – often sitting comically askew on her nose – becomes a charming signature look for her, especially during the series’ more romantic scenes.
From Salon • Jun. 25, 2026
On Tuesday, rodeo lovers and animal welfare advocates descended on downtown Los Angeles to argue for and against a draft ordinance that would ban the hooved spectacles within the city.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The light was at an angle that glinted off his tiny spectacles, and I couldn’t see his eyes behind them.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
