microscope

noun

mi·​cro·​scope ˈmī-krə-ˌskōp How to pronounce microscope (audio)
1
: an optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of lenses for making enlarged images of minute objects
especially : compound microscope
2
: a non-optical instrument (such as one using radiations other than light or using vibrations) for making enlarged images of minute objects
an acoustic microscope

Examples of microscope in a Sentence

Students viewed the crystals through a microscope.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The treatments begin with a scalp analysis under a microscope, followed by exfoliating, steaming, cleansing and massage steps designed to improve scalp health and hair shine. Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026 The probe has put the NFL’s deal making under a microscope and could be a signal that the other major leagues may face their own inquiries. Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Your connections are under a microscope, but clarity arrives around who’s meeting you halfway and who’s just enjoying access to you. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 That focus on a moment, an image, that impulse to seize a scene and squeeze it dry, or spend days with it under a microscope, or live with it for hours in a vanity mirror, ring light fully on. Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for microscope

Word History

Etymology

New Latin microscopium, from micr- + -scopium -scope

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of microscope was in 1648

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Microscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microscope. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

microscope

noun
mi·​cro·​scope ˈmī-krə-ˌskōp How to pronounce microscope (audio)
1
: an optical instrument consisting of a lens or a combination of lenses for making enlarged or magnified images of minute objects
2
: an instrument using radiation other than light for making enlarged images of very small objects

Medical Definition

microscope

noun
mi·​cro·​scope ˈmī-krə-ˌskōp How to pronounce microscope (audio)
1
: an optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of lenses for making enlarged images of minute objects
2
: an instrument using radiations other than light or using vibrations for making enlarged images of minute objects
an acoustic microscope
see electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, x-ray microscope

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