microscopic

microscopic

See also: microscòpic

English

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: 'mīkrə'skŏpĭk, IPA^(key): /ˌmaɪkɹəˈskɑpɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɒpɪk

Adjective

microscopic (comparative more microscopic, superlative most microscopic)

1. Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy; microscopal

   We supply all microscopic stains and other materials.

2. So small that it can only be seen using a microscope.

   The water was full of microscopic organisms.

3. Very small; minute

   Compared to the galaxy, we are microscopic in scale.

   • 2014 September, Gregg Jaeger, “What in the (quantum) world is macroscopic?”, in American Journal of Physics, volume 82, number 9, pages 896–905:

     ... the notion of the microscopic was often used in the foundations of quantum theory right from the start, to indicate the realm in which quantum theory is required in order to explain phenomena when classical theory cannot do so; quantum theory was generally considered in those years to apply only to situations involving atoms and smaller “microscopic” entities...

4. Carried out with great attention to detail.

   The police carried out a microscopic search of the crime scene.

5. Able to see extremely minute objects.

   Why has not man a microscopic eye? — Alexander Pope.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:tiny

Antonyms

• macroscopic

Related terms

• microscope
• macroscopic
• telescopic

Derived terms

• amicroscopic
• biomicroscopic
• cryomicroscopic
• electromicroscopic
• endomicroscopic
• immunomicroscopic
• microscopical
• microscopically
• nonmicroscopic
• otomicroscopic
• photomicroscopic
• spectromicroscopic
• stereomicroscopic
• submicroscopic
• supermicroscopic
• ultramicroscopic
• videomicroscopic

 

Translations

relating to microscopes

Asturian: microscópicu Catalan: microscòpic Danish: mikroskopisk (da) Esperanto: mikroskopa Finnish: mikroskooppi- (fi) French: microscopique (fr) Interlingua: microscopic Irish: micreascópach Italian: microscopico (it)

Norwegian: Bokmål: mikroskopisk Nynorsk: mikroskopisk Portuguese: microscópico (pt) Romanian: microscopic (ro) m or n Spanish: microscópico Tagalog: miksipatin Volapük: daluskopik (vo)

so small that it can only be seen using a microscope

Asturian: microscópicu Catalan: microscòpic Czech: mikroskopický (cs) Danish: mikroskopisk (da) Dutch: microscopisch (nl) Esperanto: mikroskopa Finnish: mikroskooppinen (fi) French: microscopique (fr) Galician: microscópico German: mikroskopisch (de) Interlingua: microscopic

Irish: micreascópach Maori: merowhetau Norwegian: Bokmål: mikroskopisk Nynorsk: mikroskopisk Portuguese: microscópico (pt) Romanian: microscopic (ro) m or n Russian: микроскопи́ческий (ru) (mikroskopíčeskij) Spanish: microscópico Turkish: mikroskobik (tr) Volapük: daluskopik (vo)

very small

Asturian: microscópicu Catalan: microscòpic Danish: mikroskopisk (da) Esperanto: malgrandega Finnish: mikroskooppinen (fi) French: microscopique (fr) Galician: microscópico German: mikroskopisch (de)

Irish: micreascópach Italian: microscopico (it) Maori: merowhetau Portuguese: microscópico (pt) Romanian: microscopic (ro) m or n Spanish: microscópico Volapük: daluskopik (vo)

carried out with great attention to detail

Finnish: pikkutarkka (fi), yksityiskohtainen (fi)

Irish: (please verify) micreascópach

See also

• naked-eye

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Interlingua

Adjective

microscopic (not comparable)

1. microscopic

Related terms

• microscopia
• microscopio