Also ‑scopic and ‑scopy.
An instrument for observing, viewing, or examining something.
Greek skopein, look at.
This ending appears in the names of a wide variety of instruments in engineering, medicine, the sciences, and other fields, most containing the linking vowel ‑o‑ before the ending. All can have associated adjectives in ‑scopic, as in spectroscopic or gyroscopic. Many have a linked noun in ‑scopy that describes an observation or examination made using the instrument: laryngoscopy, endoscopy (among those in which that form is rare are kaleidoscope and periscope, in which names do not represent a scientific instrument). In horoscope, the ending has a figurative sense.
Examples of words in -scope
Word origins are from Greek unless otherwise stated.
endoscope
an instrument which can be introduced into the body to give a view of its internal parts
endon, within
gyroscope
a device consisting of a fast-spinning wheel on supports, often used as a compass or to give stability
guros, a ring
horoscope
a forecast of a person's future based on the positions of the stars and planets at the time of his or her birth
hōra, time
kaleidoscope
a toy consisting of a tube containing mirrors and pieces of coloured glass or paper
kalos, beautiful, plus eidos, form
laparoscope
a fibre optic instrument which is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or permit small-scale surgery
lapara, flank
microscope
an optical instrument used for viewing very small objects
mikros, small
ophthalmoscope
an instrument for inspecting the retina and other parts of the eye
ophthalmos, eye
oscilloscope
a device for viewing oscillations by a display on the screen of a cathode ray tube
English oscillation
otoscope
an instrument designed for visual examination of the eardrum and the passage of the outer ear
ous, ōt‑, ear
periscope
a device, as in a submarine, which uses mirrors to observe a scene otherwise out of sight Greek peri, about, around)spectroscope, an apparatus for producing and recording spectra for examination
English spectrum
stethoscope
a medical instrument for listening to the action of someone's heart or breathing
stēthos, breast
stroboscope
an instrument for apparently stopping movement by shining a bright light at intervals
strobos, whirling
telescope
an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer
tēle‑, far off
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