a brand of apparatus for electrical transmission of photographs.
a photograph transmitted by this apparatus.
1890–95; short for telephotographic; see telephotograph, -ic
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its single rear camera lacks the telephoto lens of the Pro models and the ultrawide lens in the entry-level iPhone 17, which costs $200 less.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 8, 2025
Armed with binoculars and a telephoto camera, they watch the cobalt waters for one of its great treasures - pygmy blue whales.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2024
Sporting a telephoto lens with her camera, Philbin now can identify individual whales from their fins and tails and is second to Muul in sorting sighting tips and sending alerts.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2023
Those new iPhones coming out with an improved telephoto lens will get plenty of use by fans showing up to Mission League basketball games this winter, considering how many celebrities might be making appearances.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023
I checked the woods for telephoto lens flare and didn’t see any.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
