microscope
/ˈmaɪkɹəsˌkəʊp/MIGH-kruh-skohp
/ˈmaɪkɹəsˌkoʊp/MIGH-kruh-skohp
Meaninga small viewer
Common meaning: an instrument that magnifies tiny things
- microlittle, smallLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 513 (approximate) · scan
- scopeGreek skopein: to look at
‘little, small’ + ‘to look at’ → microscope
Journey through time
- Greekμικρός (mikrós)‘little, small’
- Englishmicroscope‘an instrument that magnifies tiny things’ · today
micro also in: microcosmmicrogrammicrophonemicroinjectmicromanage
scope- also in: gyroscopetelescopekaleidoscope
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós) ‘little, small’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry μικρός (mikrós), p. 513 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry MICROCOSM, p. 366 · dictionary scan
Roots
- μικρός (mikrós) Ancient Greek “little, small”
Related words
microbiologymicrocosmmicroecologymicrogrammicrogravitymicroinjectmicromanagemicrophonemicrophysicsmicroscopicmicroscopicallymicrotechnology
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