spyglass

American

[spahy-glas, -glahs] / ˈspaɪˌglæs, -ˌglɑs /

noun

a small telescope.

spyglass British

/ ˈspaɪˌɡlɑːs /

noun

a small telescope

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spyglass

First recorded in 1700–10; spy + glass

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.

In one memorable 1803 cartoon, for example, British king George III literally holds the French leader in his palm, looking at him through a spyglass.

From National Geographic • Nov. 22, 2023

"It looked like a black canvas with a chain with a spyglass hanging on the end of it," Lennon remembered during an RKO Radio interview on the last afternoon of his life.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2023

Among the props are the amber spyglass, from which one of Pullman's novels takes its name, and visual effects which made his otherworldly creatures move and talk.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2022

About two hours later, according to Tarasevich, he heard a noise on the landing and through the spyglass in his door saw Nedashkivskiy, with some soldiers, going into the couple’s apartment.

From Reuters • Apr. 7, 2022

There was an old-style spyglass secured with brackets.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023