lorgnette

English
A lorgnette.

Etymology

Borrowed from French lorgnette, from lorgner (“to take a sidelong look at”) (from Middle French lorgne (“crosseyed”)).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /lɒɹnjɛt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛt

Noun

lorgnette (plural lorgnettes)

  1. An opera glass with a handle.
    Synonym: (archaic) lorgnon
    • 1869, Mark Twain, chapter XXXII, in The Innocents Abroad, page 340:
      In the valley, near the Acropolis, […] Athens itself could be vaguely made out with an ordinary lorgnette.
  2. Elaborate double eyeglasses.

Coordinate terms

Translations

Further reading

French

Etymology

From lorgner (“to take a sidelong look at”) +‎ -ette, analogous to lunette.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /lɔʁ.ɲɛt/

Noun

lorgnette f (plural lorgnettes)

  1. lorgnette
    • 1924, Emmanuel Bove, Mes Amis‎:
      Au théâtre, nous occuperions une loge. En me penchant, je pourrais toucher le rideau. De toute la salle, on nous observerait, avec des lorgnettes.
      At the theatre, we would have a box. If I leant over, I would be able to touch the curtain. The whole auditorium would watch us through lorgnettes.

Derived terms

Further reading
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