binoculars

binoculars — noun

1. A handheld device with two separate telescopes joined side by side, used for see

1.nounB1
Definition

A handheld device with two separate telescopes joined side by side, used for seeing faraway objects as if they were much closer.

Example

Liam used his binoculars to watch an eagle flying over the lake.

common use case: watching birds or wildlife

Saira could not see the players on the field clearly without her binoculars.

Common collocations
  • a pair of binoculars
  • through binoculars
  • raise your binoculars
  • focus your binoculars
  • powerful binoculars
  • compact binoculars
Synonyms
  • field glasses

    an older or more traditional term for the same device, now less common in everyday speech

  • opera glasses

    a smaller, low-magnification type used mainly at concerts and theaters

Grammar Patterns

binoculars + plural verb

a pair of binoculars + singular verb

Usage Note

Always used in plural form, like 'trousers' or 'scissors'. For a single unit, say 'a pair of binoculars'.

Common Mistakes

I bought a binoculars.
I bought a pair of binoculars.
Binoculars is always plural; use 'a pair of' to refer to one unit.
The binoculars is on the shelf.
The binoculars are on the shelf.
Binoculars takes a plural verb.

Word family

  • binocular
    adjectiveC1
  • binocular
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Binoculars are the general term for a handheld optical device with two tubes used for viewing distant objects with both eyes. Field glasses is an older, less common term that refers to the same object but is rarely used outside historical or formal writing. A telescope has only one tube and is usually mounted on a stand for observing stars or very far objects; it cannot be used with both eyes at once. Opera glasses are smaller, lighter binoculars with low magnification, designed specifically for use at indoor events such as concerts or plays. Choose binoculars for everyday outdoor use, field glasses for a deliberately old-fashioned tone, a telescope for astronomy, and opera glasses for the theater or opera house.

binoculars ↗field glassestelescope ↗opera glasses

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pair of binoculars

Phrases

  • binoculars + plural verb
  • a pair of binoculars + singular verb

Prepositions

  • through binoculars
  • with binoculars

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'binoculars' was formed in the early 1700s from Latin 'bis' (two, twice) and 'ocularis' (of the eyes). The idea was simply 'for two eyes' — a device that lets you use both eyes at once, unlike a single-lens telescope.