microscope

American  

[mahy-kruh-skohp] / ˈmaɪ krəˌskoʊp /

noun

1. an optical instrument having a magnifying lens or a combination of lenses for inspecting objects too small to be seen or too small to be seen distinctly and in detail by the unaided eye.

2. Astronomy. Microscope, the constellation Microscopium.

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microscope British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəˌskəʊp /

noun

1. an optical instrument that uses a lens or combination of lenses to produce a magnified image of a small, close object. Modern optical microscopes have magnifications of about 1500 to 2000 See also simple microscope compound microscope ultramicroscope

2. any instrument, such as the electron microscope, for producing a magnified visual image of a small object

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microscope Scientific  

/ mī′krə-skōp′ /

1. Any of various instruments used to magnify small objects that are difficult or impossible to observe the naked eye.

2. ◆ Optical microscopes use light reflected from or passed through the sample being observed to form a magnified image of the object, refracting the light with an arrangement of lenses and mirrors similar to those found in telescopes.

3. See also atomic force microscope electron microscope field ion microscope

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microscope Cultural  

1. A device that produces a magnified image of objects too small to be seen with the naked eye. Such objects are thus called “microscopic.” The microscope is widely used in medicine and biology. Common microscopes use lenses; others, such as electron microscopes, scan an object with electrons, x-rays, and other radiation besides ordinary visible light.

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Etymology

Origin of microscope

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin mīcroscopium; micro-, -scope

Example Sentences

In an earlier experiment, Doshi used a scanning electron microscope to examine nanostructures on a polymer film.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

For example, in an offering known as live blood analysis, Gassan examines a patient’s cells under a microscope, looking for patterns within them.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the Covid-19 inquiry in June 2022, more than a year after he said the government's actions during the pandemic would be put "under the microscope".

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

"This new microscope now allows us to see a new mode of superconducting electrons that nobody has ever seen before," says Nuh Gedik, the Donner Professor of Physics at MIT.

From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026

By put it in the beam, he meant “look at it using the electron microscope,” which is much more powerful than a light microscope, and can see deeper into the universe within.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston