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speculum
[ spek-yuh-luhm ]
/ ˈspɛk yə ləm /
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noun, plural spec·u·la [spek-yuh-luh], /ˈspɛk yə lə/, spec·u·lums.
a mirror or reflector, especially one of polished metal, as on a reflecting telescope.
Surgery. an instrument for rendering a part accessible to observation, as by enlarging an orifice.
Ornithology. a lustrous or specially colored area on the wings of certain birds.
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Origin of speculum
1590–1600; <Latin: mirror, equivalent to spec(ere) to look, behold + -ulum instrumental suffix; see -ule
Words nearby speculum
speculation, speculative, speculative fiction, speculative philosophy, speculator, speculum, speculum metal, sped, Spee, speech, speech act
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use speculum in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for speculum
speculum
/ (ˈspɛkjʊləm) /
noun plural -la (-lÉ™) or -lums
a mirror, esp one made of polished metal for use in a telescope, etc
med an instrument for dilating a bodily cavity or passage to permit examination of its interior
a patch of distinctive colour on the wing of a bird, esp in certain ducks
Word Origin for speculum
C16: from Latin: mirror, from specere to look at
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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