any of a number of instruments for dispersing electromagnetic radiation and thus forming or recording a spectrum
See also spectrometer
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
spec•tro•scope /ˈspɛktrəˌskoʊp/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
spec•tros•co•py /spɛkˈtrɑskəpi/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]See -spec-, -scope-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Opticsa device to observe a spectrum of light or radiation.
spec•tros•co•py /spɛkˈtrɑskəpi/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]See -spec-, -scope-.
spec•tro•scope
(spek′trə skōp′),USA pronunciation n. [Optics.]
spec•tro•scop•ic
(spek′trə skop′ik),USA pronunciation spec′tro•scop′i•cal, adj.
spec′tro•scop′i•cal•ly, adv.
- Opticsan optical device for producing and observing a spectrum of light or radiation from any source, consisting essentially of a slit through which the radiation passes, a collimating lens, and an Amici prism.
- 1860–65; spectro- + -scope
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'spectroscope' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
absorption spectrum
- collimator
- direct-vision spectroscope
- mass spectrograph
- mass spectrometer
- mass spectroscope
- microwave spectroscopy
- monochromator
- spectrobolometer
- spectrograph
- spectromicroscope
- spectropolarimeter
- spectropolariscope
- spectroradiometer
- spectroscopic binary
- spectroscopy
- telespectroscope