periscope

noun

peri·​scope ˈper-ə-ˌskōp How to pronounce periscope (audio)
: a tubular optical instrument containing lenses and mirrors by which an observer obtains an otherwise obstructed field of view

Illustration of periscope

Illustration of periscope

Examples of periscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Videos and pictures released by Elephant Nature Park near the northern city of Chiang Mai show elephants wading through belly-deep floodwaters, the tips of their noses poking like periscopes out of the murky deluge. Nat Sumon, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024 This was mainly intended to confuse the view from a periscope. David Hambling, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024 There’s a triple camera setup located on the rear that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 12-megapixel periscope camera. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 10 Sep. 2024 Apple debuted a folding periscope lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max last year and will be bringing this to the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max this year. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for periscope 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of periscope was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near periscope

Cite this Entry

“Periscope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periscope. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

periscope

noun
peri·​scope ˈper-ə-ˌskōp How to pronounce periscope (audio)
: an instrument containing lenses and mirrors by which an observer (as on a submerged submarine) can get a view that would otherwise be blocked
periscopic
ˌper-ə-ˈskäp-ik
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on periscope

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