speculum

American  

[spek-yuh-luhm] / ˈspɛk yə ləm /

noun

plural

specula, speculums

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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Etymology

Origin of speculum

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

Example Sentences

Quinn ultimately accepted the DNA recovered from the vest top was his - although he disputed the finding from the medical speculum.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

There are adjustments clinicians can make to alleviate pain during pap smears, such as applying lube to the speculum, using a smaller one, or even allowing patients to insert the device themselves.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

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

I was in the middle of examining a patient when I dropped my speculum.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2022

Let the observer gaze, steadily but not fatiguingly, into some speculum, or clear depth, so arranged as to return as little reflection as possible.

From Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death by Myers, F. W. H. (Frederic William Henry)

Related Words

• glass