lorgnette

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈlɔː.njɛt/
    • Audio (UK):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈlɔɹ.njɛt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛt
  • Hyphenation: lor‧gnette

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[1]:
      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

Indonesian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French lorgnette, lorgner (to take a sidelong look at) (from Middle French lorgne (crosseyed)).

Noun

lorgnette

  1. lorgnette

Further reading