eyepiece
|eye-piece|
/ˈaɪ.piːs/
lens for looking
Etymology
'eyepiece' is a compound formed from 'eye' + 'piece' in Modern English, first recorded in the 19th century to refer to a 'piece' used for the 'eye' of an observer in optical instruments.
'eye' comes from Old English 'eage' (related to Proto-Germanic '*augon'), and 'piece' comes via Old French 'piece' from Late Latin 'petia'; these elements combined in Modern English to form the compound 'eyepiece'.
Originally a literal compound meaning 'a piece for the eye' (a part used for looking), it evolved into the technical term specifically denoting the lens or lens assembly used for viewing in optical instruments.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a lens or group of lenses at the viewing end of an optical instrument (such as a microscope, telescope, or binoculars) through which the observer looks.
Look through the eyepiece to focus the telescope on the star.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a removable or interchangeable lens assembly fitted into an instrument to provide a particular magnification or field of view.
The microscope comes with three eyepieces of different magnifications.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/20 05:51