microscope
gb/mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/ us/mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
B1
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
optical device for viewing tiny things
A tool with lenses that makes very small things look much bigger so you can see their details.
Usage pattern:
to use a microscope to look at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse a "microscope" with a "telescope". A microscope is for very small, close objects; a telescope is for very distant objects like stars. Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition: we usually say "look through a microscope" to describe how you view something, and "see something under a microscope" or "under the microscope" to describe the thing being examined.
Synonyms
magnifier (More general; usually refers to a simple lens or magnifying glass, not a complex scientific instrument.)
|
optical instrument (More formal and general; refers to any device that uses lenses or light to help you see, not only microscopes.)
Antonyms
naked eye (Describes seeing without any tools or magnification, the opposite of looking through a microscope.)
Collocations
light microscope
|electron microscope
|compound microscope
|use a microscope
|look through a microscope
|microscope slide
Themes
science
|education
|technology
Examples
- She adjusted the focus on the microscope until the cells came into sharp view.
- In biology class we used a microscope to examine onion skin cells.
- The lab only has one electron microscope, so the researchers have to share it.
- A drop of pond water under the microscope was full of tiny organisms.
Learner examples
- We looked at a leaf under the microscope.
- The student used a microscope to see the small cells.
- This microscope is very old, but it still works well.
- He bought a small microscope for his daughter’s science project.
Grammar
Dictionary form
microscope
IPA
GB/mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
US/mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
Syllables & stress
mi - cro - scope (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mi)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: microscope
- Plural: microscopes
Word family
Forms
microscopes
noun
Core family
microscopic
adjective B2
Related words
microscopy
noun C1
microscopically
adverb
Advanced or less common
microscopist
noun
Expressions
come under the microscope
1/kˈʌm ˈʌndɚ ðə mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
idiom
begin to be examined closely
To start to be examined very carefully and in detail, often because people are worried or critical.
Examples
- Government spending has come under the microscope after the budget crisis.
- The food industry has come under the microscope over its use of sugar.
- His research methods came under the microscope when errors were discovered.
put [something] under the microscope
1/pˈʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈʌndɚ ðə mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
idiom
examine something very closely
To examine something very carefully and in detail, often to find problems or to understand it better.
Examples
- The auditors will put the company’s accounts under the microscope next week.
- Scientists put the new drug under the microscope before starting human trials.
- The report puts our education system under the microscope and suggests major changes.
under the microscope
1/ˈʌndɚ ðə mˈaɪkɹoʊskˌoʊp/
idiom
examined very carefully
To be studied or checked very carefully, with a lot of attention to small details, often in a critical way.
Examples
- Since the scandal, every expense claim has been under the microscope.
- Teachers say their work is always under the microscope from parents and the media.
- The company’s safety record is now under the microscope after the accident.