compound microscope
- noun
- /ˈkɒmpaʊnd ˈmaɪkrəˌskoʊp/
- Specialized
:
microscopio compuesto
- The scientist examined the tiny cells of the plant using a compound microscope to observe their structure.
Examples
-
Photo (color): Richard Humber checks a specimen of a fungus-infected insect before examining it by both stereo and compound microscopes to determine the correct identification of the fungus.
Academic text (2003) -
With the compound microscope, the researchers were able to identify microorganisms in the water sample.
-
In 1847, Charles Darwin purchased a large compound microscope made by the firm Smith and Beck.
Blog text (1) -
It was Robert Hooke who, when using a compound microscope in 1655, noticed that thin slices of cork were made up of identical and small self-contained units which he called "cells."
Academic text (1995) -
During the biology class, students used a compound microscope to investigate the details of various specimens.
Synonyms
102
3.6
A tool that makes very small things look much larger to see details
How Much Magnification
- Specialized
6
4.3
- Specialized
- Specialized
2
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is transparently built from 'compound' (made of several parts) + 'microscope' (a magnifying device), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a type of microscope composed of multiple parts/lenses. This is a straightforward noun compound following normal English composition and is paralleled in many languages, making the meaning predictable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Compound microscope comes from the idea of compound meaning 'made of parts' because the tool uses two glass lenses, one near the tiny object and one you look through. So the 'two-lens' design makes very small things much larger, and that is why the name points to its stronger magnifying power.