- plural of spectacle.
spectacles
Britishplural noun
-
Often (informal) shortened to: specs. a pair of glasses for correcting defective vision
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Harrison Bergeron"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Snap later began shifting towards AR, offering new Spectacles in 2021 to a "select group of global creators" in the field.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Spectacles were also crucial to Aldous Huxley, who said he became a writer rather than a physician due to his poor vision.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Last year, Santa Monica-based Snap unveiled the fifth generation of Spectacles, its augmented reality glasses that overlay digital objects on the physical world.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025
Snap’s Spectacles are truly horrid, like something you’d wear as part of a half-assed Andy Warhol costume on Halloween.
From Slate • Sep. 26, 2024
Spectacles are rare on a mouse, except in some silly children’s book.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
