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# spectacles

noun (spectacles — plural, glasses); also plural of spectacle (a spectacle, spectacles)

«spectacles» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Glasses: two lenses in a frame worn to help you see better. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#m1)
2. Plural of «spectacle»: impressive shows or sights, like fireworks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#m2)
3. «Make a spectacle of yourself»: behave in a silly way that makes people stare. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life «spectacles» is a slightly old-fashioned word for glasses (short: specs). In science, the lenses of spectacles bend light to help short- or long-sighted people. In stories and news, a spectacle is a grand show — a firework display or a parade.

### Examples

- Grandpa can't read without his spectacles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x1)
- She pushed her spectacles up her nose. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x2)
- Spectacles help people who are short-sighted see far away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x3)
- The fireworks were amazing spectacles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x4)
- Don't make a spectacle of yourself at the wedding! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x5)
- Where are my specs? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x6)
- Michael had tried on his spectacles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/#x7)

### Note

As glasses, always plural: «a pair of spectacles», «my spectacles are…». Informal: specs. Linked: spectator.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «spectacles» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spectacles/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«spectacles» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spectacles.html) on Mova free.