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spectacle

Pronunciation: /ˈspɛktəkl̩/

The English word “spectacle” has 5 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. An exciting or extraordinary scene, exhibition, performance etc.
  2. Drama and excitement in a display, product, performance, exhibition, etc.
  3. An embarrassing or unedifying scene or situation.
  4. The brille of a snake.
  5. 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.

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.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.