telescope
- Top 10000
Sense 1
- noun
- B2
A long tube with lenses or mirrors inside that makes distant things, above all stars and planets, look much nearer.
She set up her telescope on the balcony after dark.
Through a small telescope you can see craters on the moon.
The observatory keeps a telescope taller than a small house.
He folded the little telescope and slipped it into his pocket.
Common collocations: look through a telescope · point a telescope at something · a powerful telescope · space telescope · set up a telescope
Part of: Space, Science and technology
Sense 2 · less common
- verb
- C1
To slide parts one inside another so that something becomes much shorter.
Modern fishing rods telescope down to a third of their length.
The metal poles telescope together and fit inside a small bag.
Push both sections until they telescope fully into each other.
Common collocations: telescope into each other · telescope down · telescope together
Part of: Science and technology