Microscope
/ˈmaɪ.krə.skoʊp/noun
An instrument used to see objects that are too small to be seen clearly with the naked eye.
Did you know?The word was coined in the early 17th century from Greek roots, and its sibling root appears in *telephone* too—because both are built from the idea of "seeing" or "watching" from a distance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mikrós
“small”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skopéō
“to look at, examine, watch”
Early 17th Century
New Latin
microscopium
“an instrument for viewing very small objects”
17th Century
English
microscope
“a device for magnifying very small objects”
Modern English
English
microscope
“an instrument used to see tiny objects in detail”
Explore more surprising origins