monocular

M3O1N1O1C3U1L1A1R1
Canada/məˈnɑkjələɹ/UK/mənˈɒk.jə.lə(ɹ)/UK/ˈmɒnˌɒk.jə.lə(ɹ)/

adjective

Having one eye.

Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

adjectivemonocular (not comparable)
  1. not comparableHaving one eye.

    ...one of his sparks alighted upon my eye and destroyed it making me a monocular ape;

    1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC
  2. not comparableRelated to a monocle.

    You are not such a foolish woman as to like to be seen with Fred Mostyn, that little monocular snob, after the aristocratic, handsome Basil Stanhope.

    1906, Amelia Barr, The Man Between
  3. not comparableOf any optical system suitable for use by one eye at a time.
nounmonocular (plural monoculars)

plural monoculars

  1. rareA monocle.

    The moony monocular set in his eye / Appeared to be scanning the Sweet Bye-and-Bye.

    1911, Ambrose Bierce, “lord”, in The Devil’s Dictionary, New York, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.: The Neale Publishing Company, →OCLC
  2. retronymA monocular telescope, as opposed to binoculars.

    Monoculars are designed to fit discreetly in the hand, improving their cosmetic appearance. Most monoculars sold today have one primary optical difference from binoculars: the ability to focus at close range. These are known as short-focus telescopes.

    2010, Duane R. Geruschat, Audrey J. Smith, “Low Vision for Orientation and Mobility”, in Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, 3rd edition, volumes 1: History and Theory, New York: American Foundation for the Blind, page 75

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*men-
  2. Proto-Hellenic*mónwos
  3. Ancient Greekμόνος (mónos)
  4. Ancient Greekμονο- (mono-)
  5. Englishmono-
  6. Englishocular
  7. Englishmonocular

From mono- + ocular.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Irish leathshúileach
  • leathshúileachhaving one eye
Korean 애꾸
  • 애꾸 (aekku)having one eye

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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