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spectacle

noun
/ˈspɛktəkl̩/

Etymology

From Middle English spectacle, from Middle French spectacle, from Latin spectāculum (“a show, spectacle”), from spectō (“to see, behold”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”). See species. Doublet of spectaculum.

  1. derived from spectāculum
  2. derived from spectacle
  3. inherited from spectacle

Definitions

  1. An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc.

    • The horse race was a thrilling spectacle.
    • VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.

  2. An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation.

    • He made a spectacle out of himself.

  3. Attributive form of spectacles.

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. The brille of a snake.

    2. A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a…

      A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a lamp shines at night, often a part of the signal arm.

The neighborhood

Derived

bespectacled, counterspectacle, make a public spectacle of oneself, make a spectacle of oneself, minispectacle, spectacle case, spectacled, spectacleless, spectaclelike, spectaclemaker, spectaclemaking, spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch, superspectacle

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at spectacle. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01spectacle02spectacles03zero04represented05represent06exhibit07show08display

A definitional loop anchored at spectacle. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at spectacle

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA