speculum

American  

[spek-yuh-luhm] / ˈspɛk yə 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

Inflected Forms

noun

• specula
  plural
• speculums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of speculum

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

Example Sentences

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

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

Finally, the doctor trims the strings and removes the speculum.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

An exam confirmed that she needed two wolf teeth extracted and the sharp edges of some molars ground down, procedures that required propping her jaws open with a speculum.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

Two of his pupils, and these his favourite ones, were Edwin Sandys, afterwards author of Europae speculum, and George Cranmer, grand-nephew of the archbishop.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6 "Home, Daniel" to "Hortensius, Quintus" by Various

Related Words

• glass