telescopic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of a telescope.
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capable of magnifying distant objects.
a telescopic lens.
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obtained by means of a telescope.
a telescopic view of the moon.
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capable of viewing objects from a distance; farseeing.
a telescopic eye.
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consisting of parts that slide one within another like the tubes of a jointed telescope and are thus capable of being extended or shortened.
adjective
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of or relating to a telescope
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seen through or obtained by means of a telescope
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visible only with the aid of a telescope
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able to see far
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having or consisting of parts that telescope
a telescopic umbrella
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of telescopic
Explanation
If it has a lens that can magnify extremely far-away objects, it's telescopic. Another way objects can be telescopic is if they are made from a series of tubes that slide inside each other. Telescopes are the most obviously telescopic things — they magnify distant objects, like the moon, and sometimes have a series of tubes that slide out. Picture a pirate's telescopic spyglass, one type of telescope, which expands so the pirate can peer through it. If you use a camera with a telescopic lens, don’t stand too close to your subject because the lens might bonk them in the nose. Telescopic also describes something that’s only visible with a telescope, like a far-away star.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For though bald eagles are capable predators in their own right—they sport telescopic vision and can see in ultraviolet—they’re not above letting other animals do their work for them.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026
The new method, developed in the US, involved placing a lengthening nail - known as a motorised telescopic nail - on the surface of Alfie's femur, the long bone in the thigh.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
“This moment is very depressing,” cinematographer Dan Laustsen says of Claire’s funeral, filmed in Scotland using a telescopic camera crane and a somber palette.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
These satellites are now increasingly obstructing telescopic space exploration, both on the ground and in space.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2024
He had peered up my nose with a telescopic flashlight which looked like a thin pen that clipped into the top pocket of his white lab jacket.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
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.
