binocular

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UK/bɪˈnɔkjʊlə/US/(ˌ)baɪˈnɑ.kjə.lɚ/US/bəˈnɑ.kjə.lɚ/

adjective

Using two eyes or viewpoints; especially, using two eyes or viewpoints to ascertain distance.

“a binocular microscope or telescope”

Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

adjectivebinocular (not comparable)
  1. not comparableUsing two eyes or viewpoints; especially, using two eyes or viewpoints to ascertain distance.

    a binocular microscope or telescope

    2 more examples

    Most animals are binocular.

    1713, W[illiam] Derham, Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC

    our perception of distance arises from the geometry of binocular vision and our early learning seems based on calculating probabilities.

    2013 July 9, Joselle DiNunzio Kehoe, “Cognition, brains and Riemann”, in plus.maths.org, retrieved 08 Sep 2013
nounbinocular (plural binoculars)

plural binoculars

  1. attributiveAttributive form of binoculars.
  2. A pair of binoculars.
    1 more example

    He gazed around until on the lid of a spinet he spotted a promising collection of bottles, gin, whiskey, vermouth and sherry, mixed with violin bows, a flute, a toppling pile of books, six volumes of Grove's Dictionary mingled with paperback thrillers, a guitar without any strings, a pair of binoculars, a meerschaum pipe and a jar half-full of wasps and apricot jam.

    1956, Delano Ames, chapter 14, in Crime out of Mind
  3. datedAny binocular glass, such as an opera glass, telescope, or microscope.

Origin

  1. Frenchbinoculaire
  2. Frenchbinoculaire
  3. Englishbinocular

Borrowed from French binoculaire.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kaksiokulaarinen, binokulaarinen
  • kaksiokulaarinenusing two eyes or viewpoints
  • binokulaarinenusing two eyes or viewpoints
French binoculaire
  • binoculaireusing two eyes or viewpoints
German beidäugig, binokular
  • beidäugigusing two eyes or viewpoints
  • binokularusing two eyes or viewpoints
Irish déshúileach
  • déshúileachusing two eyes or viewpoints
Italian binoculare
  • binoculareusing two eyes or viewpoints
Polish binokularny, binokularowy
  • binokularnyusing two eyes or viewpoints
  • binokularowyusing two eyes or viewpoints
  • binokularany binocular glass
Portuguese binocular
  • binocularusing two eyes or viewpoints
Russian бинокуля́рный
  • бинокуля́рный (binokuljárnyj)using two eyes or viewpoints
Scottish Gaelic dà-shùileach
  • dà-shùileachusing two eyes or viewpoints
Cite this entry
APA

binocular. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binocular

MLA

“binocular.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binocular. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “binocular,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binocular.

Source: binocular on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.