monocular

From mono- + ocular.

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /məˈnɑkjələɹ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /mənˈɒk.jə.lə(ɹ)/, /ˈmɒnˌɒk.jə.lə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

monocular (not comparable)

1. Having one eye.
   • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:

     ...one of his sparks alighted upon my eye and destroyed it making me a monocular ape;

2. Related to a monocle.
   • 1906, Amelia Barr, The Man Between:

     You are not such a foolish woman as to like to be seen with Fred Mostyn, that little monocular snob, after the aristocratic, handsome Basil Stanhope.

4. Of any optical system suitable for use by one eye at a time.

monocular (plural monoculars)

1. (rare) A monocle.
   • 1911, Ambrose Bierce, “lord”, in The Devil’s Dictionary, New York, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.: The Neale Publishing Company, →OCLC:

     The moony monocular set in his eye / Appeared to be scanning the Sweet Bye-and-Bye.

2. (retronym) A monocular telescope, as opposed to binoculars.
   • 2010, Duane R. Geruschat, Audrey J. Smith, “Low Vision for Orientation and Mobility”, in Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, 3rd edition, volumes 1: History and Theory, New York: American Foundation for the Blind, page 75:

     Monoculars are designed to fit discreetly in the hand, improving their cosmetic appearance. Most monoculars sold today have one primary optical difference from binoculars: the ability to focus at close range. These are known as short-focus telescopes.

• colour man, colourman

Borrowed from French monoculaire.

monocular m or n (feminine singular monoculară, masculine plural monoculari, feminine/neuter plural monoculare)

1. monocular

• IPA^(key): /monokuˈlaɾ/ [mo.no.kuˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: mo‧no‧cu‧lar

monocular m or f (masculine and feminine plural monoculares)

1. monocular

• “monocular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025