stereoscope

noun

ste·​reo·​scope ˈster-ē-ə-ˌskōp How to pronounce stereoscope (audio) ˈstir- How to pronounce stereoscope (audio)
: an optical instrument with two eyepieces for helping the observer to combine the images of two pictures taken from points of view a little way apart and thus to get the effect of solidity or depth

Examples of stereoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Turning accident into amusement Photographs became collectible amusements partly thanks to the midcentury invention of the stereoscope – a device that created three-dimensional optical illusions. Andrea Kaston Tange, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 Some stereoscope cards referenced multiple forms of popular entertainment to create ghost images that worked as layered visual jokes. Andrea Kaston Tange, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 Charles Wheatstone invented the stereoscope, and the stereoscope basically makes 2D pictures look like 3D objects. Susan Howson, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024 Then there are more unusual items such as quail eggshells and a World War II-era viewing device known as a stereoscope. Chicago Tribune, Orange County Register, 1 Feb. 2024 All the parameters are immediately doubled and muddied in stereoscope. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 9 June 2020 The idea of immersing ourselves in 3D environments dates all the way back to the stereoscopes that captivated people's imaginations in the 19th century. Peter Rubin, Wired, 8 Mar. 2020 There are three stereoscopes and views for visitors to use. courant.com, 16 Sep. 2019 Devices like the View-Master—an update of the Victorian stereoscope—achieved fad status in those years, and the Stereo Realist camera put 3-D photography into the hands of eager amateurs. Susan Delson, WSJ, 29 June 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stereoscope was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near stereoscope

Cite this Entry

“Stereoscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereoscope. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

stereoscope

noun
ste·​reo·​scope ˈster-ē-ə-ˌskōp How to pronounce stereoscope (audio)
ˈstir-
: an optical instrument that blends two slightly different pictures of the same subject to give the effect of depth

Medical Definition

stereoscope

noun
ste·​reo·​scope ˈster-ē-ə-ˌskōp How to pronounce stereoscope (audio) ˈstir- How to pronounce stereoscope (audio)
: an optical instrument with two eyepieces for helping the observer to combine the images of two pictures taken from points of view a little way apart and thus to get the effect of solidity or depth

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