bifocal

bi·fo·cal | \ ˈbī-ˌfō-kəl

How to pronounce bifocal (audio)

\

Definition of bifocal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having two focal lengths

2 : having one part that corrects for near vision and one for distant vision a bifocal eyeglass lens

bifocal

Definition of bifocal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 bifocals plural : eyeglasses with bifocal lenses

2 : a bifocal glass or lens

Examples of bifocal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective One came in his account of creating bifocal eyeglasses. — John Wilmerding, WSJ, "Between Fact and Imagination," 28 June 2019 Adair wore his bifocal sunglasses and a navy blue baseball cap. — Jeff Maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017 Each time, my cloudy natural lens was replaced with an artificial, bifocal one. — Gayle Carline, Orange County Register, "What a Day: Blinded by the light, and the eye doctor," 6 Jan. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Minnie Bottoms wears old bifocals that make her mix up kings and jacks, often to her opponents’ dismay. — Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, "Bridge: Aug. 30, 2019," 30 Aug. 2019 Through his bifocals, Trout looks aghast at that news. — Stephanie Apstein, SI.com, "25 Going on 40: Baseball's Youth Movement Has Taken Over the All-Star Game," 9 July 2019 In the film, Khan blames Kirk for the death of his wife and seeks to destroy the Enterprise’s enterprising leader, who’s now a Starfleet admiral contemplating bifocals. — René A. Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, "William Shatner returns to San Antonio for ‘Wrath of Khan’ Q&A at the Tobin Center," 19 June 2018 Even so, in the Wayne County of the future, silver hair and bifocals will proliferate. — Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan is aging faster than the rest of the U.S. – here's why," 8 June 2018 Besides his contribution to science, Franklin is known for inventing the Franklin stove, bifocals and the glass armonica, Davis said. — Rosemarie Dowell, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Professor who portrays Founding Father Ben Franklin says, 'He was really cool'," 31 Jan. 2018 But the days of popping reading glasses on and off or constantly shifting your gaze through bifocals may be numbered. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "These “Smart Glasses” Adjust To Your Vision Automatically," 9 Feb. 2017 Strumming a shiny acoustic guitar, the winsome memaw launches into her parody rendition, weaving hearing aids, retirement, RVs, bifocals and more into the three-minute lyrical journey. — Southern Living, "90-Year-Old Grandma Turns a Patsy Cline Classic into a Brilliant Ode to Aging," 12 Oct. 2017 Mr. Marshall, a soft-spoken, professorial man with a salt-and-pepper beard and bifocals hanging around his neck, doesn’t carry himself like a firebrand. — Randy Kennedy, New York Times, "Kerry James Marshall, Boldly Repainting Art History," 9 Sep. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bifocal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about bifocal

Dictionary Entries near bifocal

Statistics for bifocal

Cite this Entry

“Bifocal.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bifocal. Accessed 17 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for bifocal

bifocal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of bifocal

of eyeglasses : divided into two parts that help a person to see things that are nearby and things that are far away

See the full definition for bifocal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bifocal

bi·fo·cal | \ (ˈ)bī-ˈfō-kəl

\

Medical Definition of bifocal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having two focal lengths

2 : having one part that corrects for near vision and one for distant vision a bifocal eyeglass lens

bifocal

Medical Definition of bifocal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a bifocal glass or lens

2 bifocals plural : eyeglasses with bifocal lenses

WORD OF THE DAY

tontine

a plan in which a last survivor takes all

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.