microscopic

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adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik \

variants: or less commonly microscopical play \-pi-kəl\

Definition of microscopic

1 :resembling a microscope especially in perception

2 a :invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope

b :very small or fine or precise

3 :of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy

—

microscopically

play \-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See microscopic defined for English-language learners

See microscopic defined for kids

Examples of microscopic in a Sentence

At this point, the embryo is a microscopic clump of only 100 cells.
There is a microscopic crack in the diamond.
He has a microscopic attention span.
He recorded every aspect of his trip in microscopic detail.
a microscopic study of plant tissues

Recent Examples of microscopic from the Web

This material is then used to lay down the microscopic nanometer transistor patterns on silicon wafers.

— mike freeman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "ASML's Cymer Technologies hits milestones to deliver smaller, faster chips," 29 Aug. 2017
Maybe Trubisky will do so Sunday if Glennon posts another microscopic passer rating and the rookie steals the show again.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Inevitability of Mitch Trubisky promotion suggests Bears could get this right," 24 Aug. 2017
This cosmos is only now revealing itself as a result of scientific discoveries based on better microscopic imaging and DNA analysis.

— adrian higgins, idahostatesman, "The zoo beneath our feet: We’re only beginning to understand soil’s hidden world," 23 Aug. 2017
Over the next four days, Murphy will hear a microscopic fraction of personal stories of tragedy and a bit of triumph.

— dan haar, courant.com, "Dan Haar: As Murphy Treks Across The State, Charlottesville Shares The Road With A World Of Issues," 14 Aug. 2017
That squishy cleaning apparatus is a microscopic universe, teeming with countless bacteria.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "Cleaning a Dirty Sponge Only Helps Its Worst Bacteria, Study Says," 4 Aug. 2017
The eight-legged microscopic animals can survive freezing temperatures close to absolute zero, pressure six times greater than what's at the ocean floor, hundreds of times the radiation that would floor a human, and the vacuum of space.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Secrets of Unkillable Tardigrades Found in Their DNA," 28 July 2017
The interviewers were unaware of the microscopic findings in any given donor’s brain.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Ninety-nine percent of ailing NFL player brains show hallmarks of neurodegenerative disease, autopsy study finds," 25 July 2017
The microscopic water creatures known as tardigrades can survive temperatures up to ____________ degrees Celsius.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Health Care and Hack-Backs," 14 July 2017

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

First Known Use of microscopic

circa 1672

microscopic Synonyms

Other Microbiology Terms

pathogen, salmonella, tetanus

MICROSCOPIC Defined for English Language Learners

microscopic

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adjective

Definition of microscopic for English Language Learners

: able to be seen only through a microscope : extremely small
: much smaller than what is usual, normal, or expected
: done with a microscope

MICROSCOPIC Defined for Kids

microscopic

play

adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik \

Definition of microscopic for Students

1 :of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope

a microscopic examination

2 :so small as to be visible only through a microscope :very tiny

a microscopic crack

—

microscopically

\-pi-kə-lē\ adverb

Medical Dictionary

microscopic

play

adjective mi·cro·scop·ic \ ˌmī-krə-ˈskäp-ik \

variants: or microscopical play \-i-kəl\

medical Definition of microscopic

1 :of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy

2 :so small or fine as to be invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope — compare macroscopic, submicroscopic, ultramicroscopic 1

—

microscopically

play \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Learn More about microscopic

See words that rhyme with microscopic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for microscopic Spanish Central: Translation of microscopic Nglish: Translation of microscopic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of microscopic for Arabic speakers

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microscopic Synonyms

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Other Microbiology Terms

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microscopic

Definition of microscopic for English Language Learners

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microscopic

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microscopic

medical Definition of microscopic

microscopically

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