English Reference

Word

telescopic

Phoneticstele·scop·ic

US/ˌtɛɫəˈskɔpɪk/

UK/tˌɛlɪskˈɒpɪk/

Definition

adj. describing something that can be made longer or shorter by sliding parts inside each other, like a telescope. It can also describe something that looks far away or is very small.

adj. relating to or resembling a telescope; specifically, capable of being extended or retracted by telescoping parts. Often used to describe visual perception or the physical structure of an instrument.

Examples

“The chair has a telescopic leg for easy storage.”

“The engineer designed a telescopic boom that could reach the top of the building without needing a crane.”

“Through a telescopic lens, the astronomer observed the faint glow of a distant galaxy that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.”

Examples

simple

“The chair has a telescopic leg for easy storage.”

contextual

“The engineer designed a telescopic boom that could reach the top of the building without needing a crane.”

complex

“Through a telescopic lens, the astronomer observed the faint glow of a distant galaxy that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.”

Etymology

From tele- + -scopic, after telescope.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

telescopeNountelescopicAdjective

Domain

Astronomy

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/telescopic

English Reference