binocular
binocular Lexical Profile
binocular Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An optical instrument consisting of two small telescopes mounted side by side for use with both eyes to view distant objects (usually used in the plural).
"She adjusted the focus on her binoculars to get a clearer look at the migrating hawks across the valley."
• adjective
Adapted for or using both eyes simultaneously, especially to produce a single three-dimensional image with depth perception.
"Predatory birds rely on keen binocular vision to judge distances accurately when diving for prey."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun referring to the optical instrument, this word is almost always used in the plural form ('binoculars') or preceded by 'a pair of', whereas the singular 'binocular' is primarily used as an adjective (as in 'binocular vision').
• Rhymes for binocular
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 18th century from New Latin binocularis, formed from the Latin prefix bi- ('two, having two') and ocularis ('of the eyes'), from oculus ('eye').