speculum

American  

[spek-yuh-luhm] / ˈspɛk jə ləm /

noun

• specula,
  plural
• speculums
  plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• specula
  plural
• speculums
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of speculum

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

speculum specula speculums

To insert an IUD, a clinician opens the vagina using a speculum and grips the cervix with a type of forceps, which can cause a sudden, sharp pain.

From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026

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

I was in the middle of examining a patient when I dropped my speculum.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022

Rec′toscope, a speculum for rectal examination; Rectot′omy, the operation for dividing a rectal stricture.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Adding “Web MD” brought back the same results, albeit staged in doctors’ offices, with lab coats and specula as props.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 15, 2019

The firm also apparently compounded its problems through ill-advised specula tion in the market for Government securities.

From Time Magazine Archive

At length, in 1839, two specula, each three feet in diameter, were turned out in such perfection as to prompt a still bolder experiment.

From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke

He would sit down in my workshop, and see me go through the various technical processes of casting, grinding, and polishing specula for reflecting telescopes.

From James Nasmyth: Engineer; an autobiography by Samuel Smiles

No one has so great a claim on the fruit of my labours; for you inoculated me with the love of star-gazing, and gave me invaluable aid and advice in figuring specula.

From James Nasmyth: Engineer; an autobiography by Samuel Smiles

Many said there had been shortages of medical equipment such as speculums, emergency adrenaline, ECG patches, forceps and gloves due to "constantly unpaid invoices", which they claimed had resulted in some appointments being cancelled.

From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2025

Research commissioned by the charity suggests most women do not know they can make the test easier by asking for longer appointments, smaller speculums, or move to more comfortable positions.

From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2025

BBC Wales has also been told there have been difficulties obtaining supplies like wound packs and speculums, and that clinics had been cancelled, causing patient backlogs.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2024

She also practiced ultrasound techniques and used speculums, swabs and local anesthetic to prepare patients.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 20, 2022

The colored wing patches of these birds lack the brilliance of the speculums of puddle ducks.

From Ducks at a Distance A Waterfowl Identification Guide by Robert W. Hines

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