telescope

noun, often attributive

tele·scope | \ˈte-lə-ˌskōp

Definition of telescope

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a usually tubular optical instrument for viewing distant objects by means of the refraction of light rays through a lens or the reflection of light rays by a concave mirror — compare reflector, refractor

2 : any of various tubular magnifying optical instruments

3 : radio telescope

telescope

verb

telescoped; telescoping

Definition of telescope (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to become forced together lengthwise with one part entering another as the result of collision

2 : to slide or pass one within another like the cylindrical sections of a collapsible hand telescope

3 : to become compressed or condensed

transitive verb

1 : to cause to telescope

2 : compress, condense

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about telescope

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of telescope in a Sentence

Noun

The rings of Saturn can be seen through a telescope.

Verb

for dramatic purposes, the film telescopes the years over which the events occurred into a few short months

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Scientists wanted to build one of our next-generation giant telescopes on Mauna Kea and received approval from the state to do so. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Hawaiian Supreme Court gives go-ahead to giant telescope," 1 Nov. 2018 Telescope planet viewing The Adler Planetarium will bring its telescope for free viewings of Venus and Jupiter from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at Craftsman by Two Brothers, 16 W. Jefferson Ave. — Michelle Mullins, Naperville Sun, "This Week in Naperville," 13 July 2018 But in 1957, due to London’s terrible smog problem, the Observatory and its telescope relocated to a castle in Sussex, leaving the original building behind as a museum and education center. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Now That the Smog Has Lifted, Astronomy Returns to London’s Royal Observatory," 28 June 2018 Ground telescopes are good at picking up asteroids zooming into the inner solar system and approaching from the night side of Earth, Johnson said. — Marcia Dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "U.S. stepping up Earth's protection from asteroids, comets," 26 June 2018 The flood of discoveries has sent astronomers racing to their telescopes to check and classify the swift objects. — Katie Langin, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: NASA’s carbon monitoring cuts, a cancer drug flop, and the fight over one salmon gene," 11 May 2018 In this case, the face belongs to a girl that a boy happens to notice while looking through his telescope. — John Petkovic, cleveland.com, "Cleveland International Film Festival: 'A Trip to the Moon' a whimsical yarn about a boy, a girl and the moon," 11 Apr. 2018 The park’s team will then focus its powerful telescopes toward the moon and Jupiter. — Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Astronomy fanatics await opening of new Ohio park named after John Glenn," 8 Apr. 2018 Since then, thousands of these distant worlds, known as exoplanets, have been confirmed by spacecraft like Kepler and other telescopes. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Astronomers may have discovered the first moon ever found outside our Solar System," 3 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The red steel pillars of the station hurtled by, and then the grotty cavern walls of the tunnel, its bare light bulbs and heavy cables telescoping past. — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, "Can Andy Byford Save the Subways?," 2 July 2018 Justices are already considering another appeal challenging the state land board’s decision to allow the University of Hawaii to sublease mountaintop land to telescope builders. — Washington Post, "Giant telescope project before Hawaii Supreme Court again," 21 June 2018 The vehicle is heavily armed, with a 40-millimeter gun firing cased telescoped ammunition. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "France’s New Armored Car Does Not Mess Around," 17 May 2018 That car, which bowed in 1989, was priced well below its competitors and offered Japanese reliability alongside new features such as an automatic tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and power-adjustable seat belts. — Daniel Miller, latimes.com, "The Genesis G90 is a luxurious opening act for the new brand — and definitely not a Hyundai," 11 May 2018 The adaptation by Ursula Rani Sarma effectively telescopes the epic plot. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "The women of 'A Thousand Splendid Suns,' casting a spell onstage," 5 June 2018 The restaurant has become very popular very quickly with a combination of good food, reasonable pricing and a casual but celebratory interior that telescopes the experience. — Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Gran Electrica in Napa: Mexican cuisine straight outta Brooklyn," 31 May 2018 Cased telescoped ammo, in which the projectile is fully enclosed in a shell casing, is only now coming into common use with modern armies and results in a more compact projectile. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "France’s New Armored Car Does Not Mess Around," 17 May 2018 David Childs’s design for 35 Hudson Yards (a.k.a. the Equinox Tower) evolved from a set of telescoping oval cylinders skirted in limestone drapery to a twisting tube of limestone-and-glass mesh woven like a finger trap. — Justin Davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "Superhuman City," 18 Apr. 2018

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