lorgnette
Glasses on stick
A lorgnette is a pair of eyeglasses or opera glasses mounted on a handle, held up to the eyes rather than worn.
Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, the lorgnette allowed fashionable people to see without the unflattering permanence of spectacles: She raised her lorgnette to examine the newcomer.
The gesture became associated with haughty scrutiny.
Armless eyeglasses clipped on
- monocleSingle-lens eyeglass
- spectaclesCorrective eyewear worn daily
- lensesCurved transparent refractors
- framesRigid enclosing structures
tortoiseshell · horn-rimmed · chain · ribbon · handle · folding · mother-of-pearl · enamel
Venue for formal dances
- galaFestive formal occasion
- debutanteFormally introduced young woman
- duchessWoman of ducal rank
- manorLanded aristocratic residence
nobility · gentry · regency · lady · gentleman · baroness · countess · soirée
Old valued collectible
- VictorianOf a prim era
- EdwardianOf early twentieth-century Britain
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- collectibleObject worth amassing
bygone · nostalgia · retro · classic · old-fashioned · estate-sale · auction · curio
Operatic solo piece
- sopranoHighest female voice range
- tenorEssential meaning or import
- librettoOpera's written words
- divaCelebrated female vocalist
performance · overture · orchestra · ballet · mezzo · baritone · premiere · intermission
Close, careful examination
- gazeFixed, intent look
- glanceBrief, casual look
- peeringStudying something with concentration
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
disdain · disapproval · appraisal · haughty · sidelong · withering · supercilious · condescension
pince-nez
Armless eyeglasses clipped on
- monocleSingle-lens eyeglass
- spectaclesCorrective eyewear worn daily
- lensesCurved transparent refractors
frames · tortoiseshell · horn-rimmed · chain · ribbon · handle · folding · mother-of-pearl · enamel · jeweled
ballroom
Venue for formal dances
manor · nobility · gentry · regency · lady · gentleman · baroness · countess · soirée · cotillion
antique
Old valued collectible
collectible · bygone · nostalgia · retro · classic · old-fashioned · estate-sale · auction · curio · museum
aria
Operatic solo piece
diva · performance · overture · orchestra · ballet · mezzo · baritone · premiere · intermission · theater
scrutiny
Close, careful examination
inspection · disdain · disapproval · appraisal · haughty · sidelong · withering · supercilious · condescension · snub
- eyewearglasses, sunglasses, eyeglasses, spectacles, shades
- eye careeye doctor, optometrist, ophthalmologist, eye exam, glasses
- old-fashionedantique, antiques, gramophone, phonograph, horse and buggy
- optical devicestelescope, lens, magnifying glass, binoculars, microscope
- eyewear & visionglasses, eyeglasses, monocle, pince-nez, horn-rimmed
- Edwardian erahobble skirt, shirtwaist, picture hat, feathered hat, pompadour