spectacled
|spec-tac-led|
/ˈspɛktəkəld/
wearing glasses / eye-marked
Etymology
'spectacled' originates from English, specifically formed from the noun 'spectacle' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'. The noun 'spectacle' ultimately comes from Latin 'spectaculum', where the root 'spec-' (from 'specere' / 'spectare') meant 'to look' and '-culum' indicated an instrument or result.
'spectaculum' (Latin) > 'spectacle' (Old French/Medieval Latin) > 'spectacle' (Middle English) > adjectival formation 'spectacled' in modern English to mean 'having spectacles' or 'having eye markings'.
Initially, 'spectaculum' meant 'a show' or 'an object to be seen'; over time 'spectacle' also came to refer to an 'optical device' (an eyeglass), and the derived adjective 'spectacled' evolved to mean 'wearing eyeglasses' or 'having eye-like markings'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
wearing spectacles; having eyeglasses on one's face.
He was a spectacled professor who always read behind thick lenses.
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Adjective 2
(Of an animal or pattern) having markings around the eyes that resemble spectacles.
The spectacled bear gets its name from the pale rings around its eyes.
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Last updated: 2025/09/21 15:58