A Topical Dictionary: Search for speculum

Dictionary Results For "speculum" [?]/[OPML]

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Wiktionary Articles [RSS] - [GNU, www.Wiktionary.org]

English

Etymology

speculum, mirror, diminutive form from root spec-, to look at + diminutive suffix -ulum

Pronunciation

(UK): IPA: /ˈspɛkjʊləm/,
(UK): , IPA: /ˈspɛkjələm/,

Noun

A medical instrument used during an examination to dilate an orifice.
A mirror.

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Latin

Noun

speculum, -ī n

mirror

Inflection

Category:Latin nouns

el:speculum la:speculum lt:speculum ja:speculum pl:speculum fi:speculum ta:speculum te:speculum vi:speculum

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Speculum \Spec"u*lum\, n.; pl. L. Specula, E. Speculum. [L.,
fr. specere to look, behold. See Spy.]
1. A mirror, or looking-glass; especially, a metal mirror, as
in Greek and Roman archaeology.
[1913 Webster]

2. A reflector of polished metal, especially one used in
reflecting telescopes. See Speculum metal, below.
[1913 Webster]

3. (Surg.) An instrument for dilating certain passages of the
body, and throwing light within them, thus facilitating
examination or surgical operations.
[1913 Webster]

4. (Zool.) A bright and lustrous patch of color found on the
wings of ducks and some other birds. It is usually
situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills,
and is much more brilliant in the adult male than in the
female.
[1913 Webster]

Speculum metal, a hard, brittle alloy used for making the
reflectors of telescopes and other instruments, usually
consisting of copper and tin in various proportions, one
of the best being that in which there are 126.4 parts of
copper to 58.9 parts of tin, with sometimes a small
proportion of arsenic, antimony, or zinc added to improve
the whiteness.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet speculum
n 1: a mirror (especially one made of polished metal) for use in
an optical instrument
2: a medical instrument for dilating a bodily passage or cavity
in order to examine the interior
[also: specula (pl)]