tele·scope
ˈte-lə-ˌskōp 
often attributive
1
2
: any of various tubular magnifying optical instruments
3
telescoped; telescoping
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
Synonyms
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
Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Inside, there’s a museum curator and his office, an astronomy exhibit that comes with a telescope and 3-D solar system, and ancient artifacts abound.
—Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for telescope 
Noun
Astronomers in the 1980s detected in Mercury’s exosphere atomic sodium, potassium and calcium, metals with strong emission signals that can be observed all the way from Earth with telescopes.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024
Inside, there’s a museum curator and his office, an astronomy exhibit that comes with a telescope and 3-D solar system, and ancient artifacts abound.
—Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for telescope
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'telescope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Telescope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telescope. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
telescope
1 of 2 noun
tele·scope
ˈtel-ə-ˌskōp
: a tubular instrument for viewing distant objects (as objects in outer space) by focusing light rays with mirrors or lenses
telescope
2 of 2 verb
telescoped; telescoping
1
: to slide or cause to slide one within another like the cylindrical sections of a hand telescope
2
: to run together like the sections of a telescope
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