Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Eyeglasses |
EyeglassesNoun1. Optical instrument consisting of a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "eyeglasses" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Glasses or spectacles (also eyeglasses in North American English) are lenses worn in a frame before the eyes. Modern glasses are typically supported by pads on the bridge of the nose and by arms placed over the ears. Historical types of glasses include the pince nez, monocle, and lorgnette.
Glasses were originally made from glass, but many are now made from plastic due to the danger of breakage and the greater weight and thickness of glass lenses. Glass lenses, on the other hand, are much less prone to scratching.
Glasses fitted with corrective lenses are a very common means of correcting focus problems such as myopia (commonly called nearsightedness or short-sightedness), and hyperopia (commonly called farsightedness or long-sightedness). Myopic people cannot focus at long distances; people with hyperopia cannot focus at close distances. Astigmatism is mismatched focussing horizontally and vertically. Presbyopia is limited flexibility in focussing. None of these conditions are diseases.
Glasses can be very simple. Magnifying lenses for reading that are used to treat mild hyperopia and presbyopia that can be bought off the shelf, but most glasses are made to a particular prescription, based on degree of myopia or hyperopia combined with astigmatism. Lenses can be ground to specific eyes, but in most cases standard off-the-shelf prescriptions suffice, but require custom-fitting to particular frames.
As people age, their ability to focus is lessened and many come to need multiple-focus lenses, bifocal or even trifocal to cover all the situations in which they use their sight.
Traditional multifocal lenses have two or three distinct viewing areas, each requiring a conscious effort of refocusing. These were originally separate lenses, as invented by Benjamin Franklin, an early eyeglass-wearing celebrity.
Some modern multifocal lenses give a smooth transition between these lenses, unnoticeable by most wearers. Other glasses wearers sometimes have lenses specifically intended for use with computer monitors at a fixed distance. On the other hand, many people simply have several pairs of glasses, one for each task or distance.
Glasses are often regarded as unattractive (see Dorothy Parker), and many people prefer to wear contact lenses for that reason. Contact lenses also provide much improved peripheral vision.
On the other hand, many people are attracted to people who wear glasses, and glasses are available in a very wide range of styles, materials, and even designer labels.
Glasses can be a major part of personal expression, from the extravagance of Elton John and Dame Edna Everage, from Groucho Marx to John Denver all the way to the varied professional personas of eyeglass-wearing knowledge workers.
For some celebrities, glasses form part of the identity. American Sen. Barry Goldwater continued to wear lensless horn-rimmed glasses after being fitted with contact lenses because he was not recognizable without his trademark glasses. British comedic actor Eric Sykes, who became profoundly deaf as an adult, wears glasses that contain no lenses, but are in fact a bone-conducting hearing aid.
In popular culture, glasses were all the disguise Superman and Wonder Woman needed to hide in plain view as alter egos, Clark Kent and Diana Prince, respectively.
Halo effect refers to the stereotype that the wearers of glasses are intelligent or, especially in teen culture, even geeks. This is conception rooted in that the first people to wear glasses were those who did a lot of reading in an era when most people were illiterate.
Other kinds of glasses include tinted protective lenses, ranging from sunglasses, which protect the eye from glare and ultraviolet radiation, to specialized units that protect against extreme brightness and are used for welding and viewing eclipses.
Prescription sunglasses, which combine protection from bright light with vision correction, have become fairly common. Some glasses have photo-sensitive lenses that darken as the light grows brighter. They are sunglasses and indoor glasses in one.
There are also safety glasses which are made of rigid plastic and designed to protect the eyes from flying objects. Some of these may have a prescription as well.
Glasses fitted with differently coloured or polarized lenses can be used to view three-dimensional images.
Quotations
When you're a kid that sees through plastic
- "The optimist looks at the world through rose-tinted spectacles." -- Old saying
- "Four Eyes", song by bespectacled John Sebastian
With a harness of elastic So the girls all think you're icky And the boys all think you're queer Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Glasses."
Synonyms: EyeglassesSynonyms: glasses (n), specs (n), spectacles (n). (additional references) |
Crosswords: Eyeglasses |
| English words defined with "eyeglasses": bespectacled ♦ lorgnette ♦ monocled ♦ Pantoscopic ♦ shattered, smashed, spectacled, splintered, Stereoscopical. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "eyeglasses": INSPECTOR, EYEGLASS ♦ LENS HARDENER, Low vision. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Eyeglasses" is also a word in the following language with the English translation in parentheses. Spanish (eyeglasses). |
| Domain | Title |
Books |
|
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | A young, professional, white man sits at an office desk. In front of him is a professional publication, and he is holding a pair of eyeglasses. Behind him is a computer monitor. See artwork: OCC-11. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer). |  | When regular eyeglasses don't help, other things might. |
 | President Calvin Coolidge. Front parlor, on left three pix father, on table eyeglasses and stereopticon. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Dog sitting in armchair wearing eyeglasses. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Frank Billings Kellogg, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing left, holding eyeglasses. Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Eyeglasses 01" by Nicholas Sales Commentary: "Eyeglasses." | "Eyeglasses" by João Estêvão A. De Freitas Commentary: "My eyeglasses." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Joseph Joubert | Words are like eyeglasses they blur everything that they do not make clear. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Frequent changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses. (references) | |
Keratoconus usually affects both eyes. At first, people can correct their vision with eyeglasses. (references) | ||
In the early stages, stronger lighting and eyeglasses may lessen vision problems caused by cataracts. (references) | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Eyeglasses" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Eyeglasses" is used about 5 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (plural) | 100% | 5 | 157,705 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "eyeglasses": a pair of eyeglasses ♦ orthopedic eyeglasses ♦ pair of eyeglasses. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| Language | Translations for "eyeglasses"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | syze (barnacle, eyeglass, eyepiece, glass, glasses, goggles, lens, ocular, specs, spectacles). (various references) | |
Blackfoot | aawápsspiinao'sa'tsis. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | очила (barnacle, glasses, goggles, specs, spectacles). (various references) | |
Chinese | 镜片 (eyeglass), 眼鏡 (spectacles). (various references) | |
Czech | brýle (eyeglass, glasses). (various references) | |
Danish | ortopædiske briller (orthopedic eyeglasses, orthopedic spectacles). (various references) | |
Dutch | orthopedische bril (orthopedic eyeglasses, orthopedic spectacles). (various references) | |
French | lunettes orthopédiques (orthopedic eyeglasses). (various references) | |
German | brille (eye glasses, glasses, goggles, specs, spectacles, toilet seat). (various references) | |
Greek | ματογυαλιά (glasses, specs, spectacles), δίοπτρα (spectacles). (various references) | |
Hungarian | szemüveg (glasses, pair of eye-glasses, specs, spectacles). (various references) | |
Indonesian | kaca mata (glasses, spectacles), bril. (various references) | |
Irish | spéaclaí. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eyeglassesay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | óculos (glass, glasses, specs, spectacles, telescope). (various references) | |
Portuguese Brazilian | óculos. (various references) | |
Romansch | egliers. (various references) | |
Romany | gyozlikyà. (various references) | |
Russian | очки (glass, glasses, specs, spectacles), пенсне (nippers, pince nez, pince-nez). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | naočari (specs, spectacles), naočare (glasses). (various references) | |
Spanish | eyeglasses, ojos (eyes, peepers), antiojos. (various references) | |
Swedish | glasögon (glasses, goggles, spectacles, spects). (various references) | |
Turkish | gözlük (a pair of eyeglasses, a pair of spectacles, glasses, goggles, specs, spectacles). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Misspellings | |
"Eyeglasses" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Keygasse. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "eyeglasses" (pronounced ī"gla'suz) |
| 6 | -g l a' s u z | sunglasses. |
| 4 | -a' s u z | bypasses, overpasses. |
| 3 | -s u z | absences, abuses, acceptances, accomplices, aces, acquaintances, actresses, addresses, advances, affixes, albatrosses, aliases, allegiances, alliances, allowances, amaryllises, ambulances, annexes, announces, annoyances, apparatuses, appearances, appendixes, appliances, apprentices, asses, assesses, assurances, atlases, audiences, auspices, axes, congresses, consciences, consequences, continuances, contrivances, conveniences, converses, convinces, corpses, countenances, balances, bases, basses, biases, Biosciences, blesses, blitzes, blouses, boardinghouses, bonuses, bookcases, bosses, bounces, bourses, boxes, braces, briefcases, buses, businesses, Busses, buttresses, cabooses, cadences, campuses, canvases, canvasses, carcasses, Casas, cases, caucuses, cayuses, ceases, censuses, chances, chases, choices, choruses, circumstances, circuses, classes, clearances, clearinghouses, climaxes, clubhouses, coaxes, coffeehouses, coincidences, collapses, commences, complexes, compresses, concourses, condolences, conferences, confesses, confidences, courses, courthouses, creases, cresses, crevices, crocuses, crosses, crosspieces, crucifixes, curses, dances, databases, decreases, defenses, denounces, depresses, devices, differences, disabuses, disallowances, disappearances, discourses, discusses, dismisses, dispenses, displaces, distances, distresses, disturbances, divergences, divorces, dollhouses, doses, dresses, earpieces, eclipses, embarrasses, embraces, eminences, encompasses, endorses, enforces, enhances, entrances, erases, esses, evidences, excesses, excuses, exes, expanses, expenses, experiences, expresses, eyewitnesses, faces, farmhouses, faxes, fences, fetuses, finances, firehouses, fireplaces, fixes, flexes, flounces, focuses, forces, fortresses, foxes, fragrances, furnaces, fusses, gases, gasses, gearboxes, geniuses, glances, glasses, glimpses, glosses, goddesses, graces, grasses, greenhouses, grievances, grimaces, grosses, grouses, guesses, guesthouses, harnesses, headdresses, hindrances, hippopotamuses, hisses, hoaxes, horses, hospices, hostesses, houses, hyraxes, ices, illnesses, imbalances, impresses, impulses, incidences, inconveniences, increases, indexes, induces, indulgences, inferences, influences, injustices, instances, insurances, interfaces, intersperses, introduces, invoices, irises, issuances, juices, jukeboxes, justices, kisses, laces, lapses, latexes, leases, licences, licenses, lighthouses, likenesses, looses, losses, lynxes, mailboxes, marketplaces, masses, masterpieces, mattresses, medusas, messes, minibuses, minuses, misses, missus, mistresses, mixes, molasses, mongooses, morasses, mosses, mouthpieces, necklaces, nieces, nixes, notices, novices, nuances, nurses, observances, occurrences, offenses, offices, omnibuses, ordinances, orifices, ounces, outhouses, outpaces, overdoses, paces, palaces, paradoxes, passes, penises, performances, perplexes, perses, pieces, pizzas, places, pluses, polices, porpoises, possesses, poultices, powerhouses, practices, prances, preferences, prejudices, premises, presences, presses, pretenses, prices, princes, princesses, processes, produces, professes, progresses, prominences, promises, pronounces, prospectuses, protuberances, provinces, pulses, purchases, purposes, purses, pusses, racehorses, races, reassurances, recesses, reduces, references, refinances, reflexes, refocuses, rehearses, reimburses, reinforces, reintroduces, relapses, relaxes, releases, remembrances, reminiscences, reminisces, remittances, renounces, replaces, reproduces, repurchases, resemblances, residences, resources, responses, retroviruses, reverses, romances, sacrifices, sauces, sciences, sconces, seamstresses, senses, sentences, sequences, services, sexes, shoelaces, showcases, silences, sinuses, sixes, skyboxes, slaughterhouses, slices, solstices, sources, spaces, spices, splices, spouses, staircases, stances, statehouses, steakhouses, stewardesses, stresses, substances, successes, suffices, suitcases, suppresses, surfaces, surpasses, surpluses, surtaxes, taxes, terraces, tolerances, tortoises, tosses, townhouses, traces, treatises, tresses, trusses, typefaces, universes, uses, utterances, variances, vases, verses, versus, vices, viruses, voices, waitresses, walruses, waltzes, waxes, weaknesses, witnesses, workhorses, workplaces, xeroxes, yeses. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-e-e-g-l-s-s-s-y" | |
-2 letters: eyeglass. | |
-3 letters: ageless, eyeless, gasless, glasses, lessees. | |
-4 letters: eagles, easels, essays, eyases, gasses, gelees, glassy, lasses, leases, lessee, lyases, lyssas, sagely, yesses. | |
-5 letters: aglee, agley, asses, eagle, easel, eases, elegy, essay, esses, gales, gases, gassy, geese, gelee, glass, glees, gleys, lases, lease, leges, lyase, lyses, lyssa, sages, sales, sassy, seals, seels, seely, slags, slays. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Derivations 14. Rhymes 15. Anagrams 16. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
