telescopic

See also: telescòpic

English

A retractable telescope (spyglass). Sense 4 arose by reference to such devices.

Etymology

From tele- +‎ -scopic, after telescope.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛlɪˈskɒpɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɒpɪk

Adjective

telescopic (comparative more telescopic, superlative most telescopic)

1. Pertaining to, or carried out by means of, a telescope. [from 17th c.]
   • 2015, David Wootton, The Invention of Science, Penguin 2016, p. 197:

     Within a year or two of Galileo's telescopic discoveries no one disputed that the moon had mountains, Jupiter had moons, Venus had phases and the sun had spots […].

2. (chiefly astronomy) Seen by means of a telescope; only visible through a telescope. [from 17th c.]

   telescopic stars

3. Capable of seeing distant objects; far-seeing. [from 18th c.]
4. Able to be extended or retracted by the use of parts that slide over one another. [from 19th c.]

   telescopic baton

5. Referring to parts being extended or retracted along coinciding axes (with or without direct contact between the parts). [from 20th c.]

Derived terms

• nontelescopic
• phototelescopic
• pretelescopic
• radiotelescopic
• telescopical
• telescopically
• telescopic sight
• telescopic star
• telescopic vision
• telescoping

 

Related terms

• telescope
• microscopic
• macroscopic

Translations

of or relating to a telescope

• Asturian: telescópicu
• Catalan: telescòpic
• French: télescopique (3)
• Galician: telescópico
• Macedonian: телескопски (teleskópski) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: telescópico
• Romanian: telescopic (ro) m or n
• Spanish: telescópico
• Volapük: daleskopik (vo)

See also

• naked-eye