spectroscope

American  

[spek-truh-skohp] / ˈspɛk trəˌskoʊp /

noun

Optics.

1. an optical device for producing and observing a spectrum of light or radiation from any source, consisting essentially of a slit through which the radiation passes, a collimating lens, and an Amici prism.

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spectroscope British  

/ ˌspɛktrəˈskɒpɪk, ˈspɛktrəˌskəʊp /

noun

1. any of a number of instruments for dispersing electromagnetic radiation and thus forming or recording a spectrum See also spectrometer

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spectroscope Scientific  

/ spĕk′trə-skōp′ /

1. Any of various instruments used to analyze the component parts of a sample by separating its parts into a spectrum.

2. ◆ In a light spectroscope, light is focused into a thin beam of parallel rays by a lens, and then passed through a prism or diffraction grating that separates the light into a frequency spectrum. The intensity of light at different frequencies in the spectrum can be analyzed to determine certain properties of the source of the light, such as its chemical composition or how quickly it is moving.

3. ◆ In a mass spectroscope, sample ions are beamed through an electric or magnetic field that deflects the ions; the amount of deflection depends on the ratio of their mass to their electric charge. The ion beam is thus split into separate bands; the collection of bands is called the mass spectrum of the sample, and can be analyzed to determine the distribution of ions in the sample. Spectroscopes are also called spectrographs.

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Other Word Forms

• spectroscopic adjective
• spectroscopical adjective
• spectroscopically adverb

Etymology

Origin of spectroscope

First recorded in 1860–65; spectro- + -scope

Example Sentences

With their THz spectroscope, they observed that excited streams of electrons reflect off the edges to form a type of hybrid light-matter quasiparticle called a plasmon polariton.

From Science Daily • Oct. 21, 2025

It makes use of an existing 4-meter telescope on Kitt Peak in Arizona, retrofitted with a spectroscope that gathers light from 5000 galaxies at the same time.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024

It remains unknown if the probe and its spectroscope will survive the severe cold night temperatures and be able to “wake up” once sunlight returns.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024

William contributed to the origins of astrophysics as the first to use a spectroscope to detect stellar motion in the line of sight; Margaret pioneered astrophotography.

From Nature • Apr. 4, 2017

Spec′tro-polar′iscope, a polariscope combined with a spectroscope; Spec′troscope, an instrument for forming and examining spectra of luminous bodies, so as to determine their composition.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various