spyglasses
Handheld viewing tubes
Spyglasses are small handheld telescopes, the kind once used by sailors and explorers to see distant objects.
The word evokes an earlier era of navigation and adventure: The captain raised his spyglass to scan the horizon.
Now largely replaced by binoculars, spyglasses appear mostly in historical contexts or pirate stories.
Elevated maritime observation platform
- lookoutWatcher or vista point
- marinerOne who navigates ships
- seafaringTraveling by ocean vessel
- captainOne who commands
ship · deck · horizon · schooner · masthead · rigging · sextant · quadrant
Systematic observation of subjects
- covertIntentionally concealed
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- watchingActively looking at something
snooping · stakeout · intelligence · agent · lookout · infiltration · undercover · tracking
Light-focusing curved glass
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
- eyepieceLens you look through
- focusConcentrated attention point
- refractionWave bending between media
prism · ocular · zoom · clarity · resolution · optical · aperture · glass
crow's-nest
Elevated maritime observation platform
captain · ship · deck · horizon · schooner · masthead · rigging · sextant · quadrant · starboard
surveillance
Systematic observation of subjects
- covertIntentionally concealed
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
- observationAttentive watching or remark
watching · snooping · stakeout · intelligence · agent · lookout · infiltration · undercover · tracking · monitoring
lens
Light-focusing curved glass
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
- eyepieceLens you look through
- focusConcentrated attention point
refraction · prism · ocular · zoom · clarity · resolution · optical · aperture · glass · collapsible
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
- discoveryAct of finding something
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- adventureRisky exciting undertaking
cartographer · surveyor · landscape · terrain · horizon · uncharted · frontier · territory · expedition · naturalist
brass
Copper-zinc metal mixture
collectible · heirloom · patina · engraved · mahogany · extendable · tripod · case · artifact · auction
spyglassesmicroscopes
Optical enlargement instruments
magnifying glasses · loupes · electron microscopes · reading glasses
spyglassesblindfolds
Coverings blocking visual perception
naked eye · blinders · sleep masks · close inspection · cataracts