Meanings
plural phenakistoscopes · alternative phenakistiscope · alternative phénakistiscope · alternative phénakistoscope
- An early animation device consisting of a disc or drum which rotated, showing successive images through slits, often via a mirror, thus producing the illusion of motion.
Synonyms: fantascope, fantasmascope
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn early animation device consisting of a disc or drum which rotated, showing successive images through slits, often via a mirror, thus producing the illusion of motion.
Origin
- French-scope
- Ancient Greekφενακιστής“cheat, imposter”
- Frenchphénakistiscope
- Englishphenakistoscope
From French phénakistiscope, from Ancient Greek φενακιστής (phenakistḗs, “cheat, imposter”) + French -scope.
More words from French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قُرْصُ المُصْطَرِبَة
- قُرْصُ المُصْطَرِبَة (qurṣu l-muṣṭariba)Translations
French phénakistiscope
- phénakistiscopeTranslations
German Phenakistiskop
- PhenakistiskopTranslations
Spanish fenaquistoscopio
- fenaquistoscopioTranslations
Cite this entry
phenakistoscope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenakistoscope
“phenakistoscope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenakistoscope. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phenakistoscope,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phenakistoscope.
Source: phenakistoscope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.