spectacle

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spec·ta·cle

(spĕk′tə-kəl)

a. Something that can be seen or viewed, especially something of a remarkable or impressive nature.

b. A public performance or display, especially one on a large or lavish scale.

c. A regrettable public display, as of bad behavior: drank too much and made a spectacle of himself.

2. spectacles

a. A pair of eyeglasses.

b. Something resembling eyeglasses in shape or suggesting them in function.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin spectāculum, from spectāre, to watch, frequentative of specere, to look at; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spectacle

(ˈspɛktəkəl)

1. a public display or performance, esp a showy or ceremonial one

2. a thing or person seen, esp an unusual or ridiculous one: he makes a spectacle of himself.

3. a strange or interesting object or phenomenon

4. (modifier) of or relating to spectacles: a spectacle case.

[C14: via Old French from Latin spectaculum a show, from spectāre to watch, from specere to look at]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spec•ta•cle

(ˈspɛk tə kəl)

n.

1. anything presented to the sight or view, esp. something striking or impressive.

2. a public show or display, esp. on a large scale.

3. spectacles, glass (def. 5).

4. Often, spectacles. something resembling eyeglasses in shape or function.

5. Obs. a spyglass.

Idioms:

make a spectacle of oneself, to behave badly or foolishly in public; be conspicuous for one's poor taste, rudeness, eccentricity, etc.

[1300–50; Middle English < Latin spectāculum a sight, spectacle, derivative of spectāre, frequentative of specere to look, regard]

spectacle

– spectacles

1. 'spectacle'

A spectacle is a sight or view which is remarkable or impressive.

I was confronted with an appalling spectacle.

She stood at the head of the stairs and surveyed the spectacle.

2. 'spectacles'

A person's spectacles are their glasses. Spectacles is a formal or old-fashioned word.

...a schoolteacher in horn-rimmed spectacles.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	spectacle - something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight); "the tragic spectacle of cripples trying to escape" sight - anything that is seen; "he was a familiar sight on the television"; "they went to Paris to see the sights"
	2.	spectacle - an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale bullfight, corrida - a Spanish or Portuguese or Latin American spectacle; a matador baits and (usually) kills a bull in an arena before many spectators display, presentation - a visual representation of something naumachia, naumachy - a naval spectacle; a mock sea battle put on by the ancient Romans
	3.	spectacle - a blunder that makes you look ridiculous; used in the phrase `make a spectacle of' yourself blooper, blunder, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, pratfall, bloomer - an embarrassing mistake

spectacle

noun

1. show, display, exhibition, event, performance, sight, parade, extravaganza, pageant a director passionate about music and spectacle

2. sight, wonder, scene, phenomenon, curiosity, marvel, laughing stock the bizarre spectacle of an actor desperately demanding an encore

plural noun

1. glasses, specs (informal), eyeglasses (U.S.), eyewear He looked at me over the tops of his spectacles.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

spectacle

noun

An impressive or ostentatious exhibition:

array, display, panoply, parade, pomp, show.

Translations

مَنْظَر، مَشْهَد

podívaná

skuesyn

sjón

spettacolo spettatore spettacolare

imponuojantis

izrādeskats

spektakel

spektakel

gösteri manzara

壮观的场面或景象

spectacle

[ˈspektəkl]

A. N

1. → espectáculo m
a sad spectacle → un triste espectáculo
to make a spectacle of o.s → hacer el ridículo, ponerse en ridículo

2. spectacles → gafas fpl, lentes mpl (LAm), anteojos mpl (LAm)
a pair of spectacles → unas gafas
to see everything through rose-coloured or rose-tinted spectacles → verlo todo color de rosa

B. CPD spectacle case N → estuche m de gafas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spectacle

[ˈspɛktək^əl] n

(= sight) → spectacle m

(= extravaganza) → spectacle mspectacle case n (British) → étui m à lunettes

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spectacle

(= show) → Schauspiel nt; a sad spectacle → ein trauriger Anblick; to make a spectacle of oneself → unangenehm auffallen

spectacles pl (also pair of spectacles) → Brille f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spectacle

[ˈspɛktəkl] n → spettacolo
to make a spectacle of o.s. (fig) → coprirsi di ridicolo
see also spectacles

spectacle

(ˈspektəkl) noun

a sight, especially one that is very impressive or wonderful. The royal wedding was a great spectacle.

specˈtacular (-ˈtӕkju-) adjective

(negative unspectacular).

1. making a great show or display. a spectacular performance.

2. impressive; dramatic. a spectacular recovery.

specˈtacularly adverb

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.

View in context

"Yes, sir; but as this spectacle displeases you, let us drive on."

View in context

Suddenly, shouts and whistlings were heard by our aeronauts, and, leaning over the edge of the car, they saw on the open plain below them an exciting spectacle.

View in context

For that strange spectacle observable in all sperm whales dying --the turning sunwards of the head, and so expiring --that strange spectacle, beheld of such a placid evening, somehow to Ahab conveyed a wondrousness unknown before.

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Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality--namely, Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, Song.

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The New World may have its disappointments in store for us, but it cannot possibly show us any spectacle so abject as the spectacle which we witnessed last night at my aunt's ball.

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The theater was full of people, enjoying the spectacle and laughing till they cried at the antics of the two Marionettes.

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All the circumstances were perfect--and the anticipations, too, for we should soon be enjoying, for the first time, that wonderful spectacle, an Alpine sunrise--the object of our journey.

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For them all, that old-fashioned house with its gigantic mirrors, pre-Revolution furniture, powdered footmen, and the stern shrewd old man (himself a relic of the past century) with his gentle daughter and the pretty Frenchwoman who were reverently devoted to him presented a majestic and agreeable spectacle. But the visitors did not reflect that besides the couple of hours during which they saw their host, there were also twenty-two hours in the day during which the private and intimate life of the house continued.

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A stranger arriving at Stones Hill would have been surprised at the spectacle offered to his view.

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He was clothed all in green and wore a high, peaked green hat upon his head and green spectacles over his eyes.

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Andersen, called, My Aunt's Spectacles; the contents of which were pretty nearly as follows: