magnifying glass

noun

1. a lens that produces an enlarged image of an object.

magnifying glass

noun

1. a convex lens used to produce an enlarged image of an object

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnifying glass¹

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

The effect is similar to looking through a magnifying glass.

From MIT Technology Review

“What we’ve seen with this pandemic, especially, is a big magnifying glass that has been put on this problem of unequal access,” she added in an interview.

From Washington Post

Additionally, the Shop team updated the search function to be more prominent on the site and mobile page by adding a magnifying glass icon.

From Digiday

If climate change was a magnifying glass, the virus was a “heat-seeking missile,” Flowers said, zeroing in on society’s most vulnerable members.

From Washington Post

“Climate change is like a magnifying glass for everything,” Flowers said.

From Washington Post

He holds them on his belly and looks at them with a magnifying glass, studying possible escape routes.

From The Daily Beast

The magnifying glass, then, looks ahead to the fall, when Samberg will debut as the star of new Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

From The Daily Beast

P: See in the upper right there's an oval with a magnifying glass?

From The Daily Beast

Bear with me, and we'll hold a magnifying glass to their generosity, including their recent sorry report card from CharityWatch.

From The Daily Beast

These instruments were of a simple nature, for the magnifying glass was not yet contrived, and so the telescope was impossible.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally Uncle Will picked up a stone and examined it through a magnifying-glass for traces of the precious metals.

From Project Gutenberg

The variety crista has the ridges of the epidermis drawn into points, and is beautiful when seen by a magnifying glass.

From Project Gutenberg

Only with a magnifying glass can the undulations caused by the vibrating stylus be distinguished.

From Project Gutenberg

He stopped short, sucking in his breath with a curious gasping sound, and felt eagerly for his magnifying glass.

From Project Gutenberg