telephoto

1 of 3

adjective

tele·​pho·​to ˌte-lə-ˈfō-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce telephoto (audio)
: being a camera lens system designed to give a large image of a distant object
also : relating to or being photography in which a telephoto lens is used

telephoto

2 of 3

noun

plural telephotos
1
: a telephoto lens
2
: a photograph taken with a camera having a telephoto lens

Telephoto

3 of 3

trademark

used for an apparatus for transmitting photographs electrically or for a photograph so transmitted

Examples of telephoto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Sharp shooters with relatively fast aperture, producing clean shots at the wide (main and selfie camera), or 85mm telephoto (3X zoom) focal length. Ben Sin, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025 To help prevent disturbances, including separation, Ratner urges visitors to follow closures and viewing rules, recommending that people stay at least 50 yards from marine animals and use binoculars, telephoto lenses or spotting scopes to get a closer view. Adrian Rodriguez, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2025 Even if your phone has a dedicated 3x or 5x telephoto lens, its sensor and aperture are so small that your camera probably falls back to digital zoom using the main camera in low light. Allison Johnson, The Verge, 18 Dec. 2024 With a wider angle, 48MP telephoto lens and integrated gimbal, participants across the room are seen as clearly as those sitting at the front of the room. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for telephoto 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of telephoto was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near telephoto

telephony

telephoto

Telephoto

Cite this Entry

“Telephoto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telephoto. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

telephoto

adjective
tele·​pho·​to
ˌtel-ə-ˈfōt-ō
: being a camera lens designed to give a large image of a distant object

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