Meanings
nountrifocals pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlyengineeringSpectacles with corrective lenses that have three different powers per eye.
Origin
From tri- + focal (see focus). Coined by John Isaac Hawkins, their inventor, in 1826.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish kolmiteholasit
- kolmiteholasittype of spectacles
Polish okulary trójogniskowe
- okulary trójogniskowetype of spectacles
Cite this entry
APA
trifocals. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifocals
MLA
“trifocals.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifocals. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trifocals,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifocals.
Source: trifocals on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.