Home / Dictionary / spectacles

spectacles

/ˈspɛktəkl̩z/
noun
  1. Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.

    "I couldn't decide which of the pair of designer shirts I preferred, so I bought the pair."

  2. Two people in a relationship, partnership or friendship.

    "Spouses should make a great pair."

  3. Used with binary nouns (often in the plural to indicate multiple instances, since such nouns are plural only, except in some technical contexts)

    "a pair of scissors; two pairs of spectacles; several pairs of jeans"

Synonymspair of spectacles, spectacles
noun
  1. An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc.

    "The horse race was a thrilling spectacle."

  2. An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation.

    "He made a spectacle out of himself."

  3. (usually in the plural) An optical instrument consisting of two lenses set in a light frame, and worn to assist sight, to obviate some defect in the organs of vision, or to shield the eyes from bright light.

Synonymspageant, show, eyeglasses, glasses, specs
noun
  1. A pair of lenses set in a frame worn on the nose and ears in order to correct deficiencies in eyesight or to ornament the face.

Synonymseyeglasses, glasses, pair of eyeglasses, pair of glasses, pair of specs, pair of spectacles

Practice "spectacles" in context

WordNote uses spaced repetition across multiple quiz levels, from recognizing the meaning to recalling it in active practice.

Save to WordNote — it's free →

No credit card. No install required.

spectacles — meaning, definition & examples | WordNote | WordNote