speculum en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈspɛk.jʊ.ləm/ (UK)
- /ˈspɛk.jə.ləm/ (General-American, UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Indo-European *-tlom Proto-Italic *-klom Latin speculumlbor. English speculum Learned borrowing from Latin speculum.
Meanings
- A medical instrument used during an examination to dilate an orifice.
- A mirror, especially one used in a telescope.
- A bright, lustrous patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds, usually situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and much more brilliant in the adult male than in the female.
- A lookout place.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| specula | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| speculums | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (17)
ja 翼鏡 (patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds) · de Flügelspiegel (patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds) · pl wziernik (medical instrument) · fi siipipeili (patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds) · is slanga (medical instrument) · fr spéculum (medical instrument) · is spegill (medical instrument) · nds Flunkenspegel (patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds) · nl eendenbek (medical instrument) · ca espèculum (medical instrument) · eo spegulumo (medical instrument) · es espéculo (medical instrument) · bg спекулум (medical instrument) · ca espècul (medical instrument) · sv vingspegel (patch of colour found on the wings of ducks and some other birds) · la specillum (medical instrument) · nl speculum (medical instrument)