periscope

peri·scope

noun \ˈper-ə-ˌskōp\

: a long tube that contains lenses and mirrors and that is used to look over or around something and especially by a person in a submarine to see above the surface of the water

Full Definition of PERISCOPE

:  a tubular optical instrument containing lenses and mirrors by which an observer obtains an otherwise obstructed field of view

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Illustration of PERISCOPE

Origin of PERISCOPE

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: 1879

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

Rhymes with PERISCOPE

antelope, antipope, arthroscope, biotope, bronchoscope, bunny slope, calliope, cryoscope, endoscope, envelope, episcope, epitope, fluoroscope, forlorn hope, gastroscope, gyroscope, horoscope, interlope, isotope, kinescope, microscope, misanthrope, phalarope, radarscope, slippery slope, sniperscope, spectroscope, telescope

periscope

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Optical instrument (see optics) used in land and sea warfare, submarine navigation, and elsewhere to enable an observer to see the surroundings while remaining under cover, behind armour, or submerged. A periscope includes two mirrors or reflecting prisms to change the direction of the light coming from the scene observed: the first deflects it down through a vertical tube, the second diverts it horizontally so that the scene can be viewed conveniently.