Definition

Noun: 1. A pair of eyeglasses or opera glasses held to the eyes by a long handle: A lorgnette is a piece of optical equipment, typically used for fashion or at the theater, consisting of lenses mounted on a decorative handle. The user holds the handle to bring the lenses to their eyes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The elegant lady raised her lorgnette to get a better view of the stage.
  • In the 19th century, a lorgnette was a common accessory at the opera.

Advanced Usage

• As a fashion or status symbol: Historically, the lorgnette was often used more as a decorative fashion accessory or a symbol of social standing than as a purely functional visual aid.
  • Her jeweled lorgnette was more for show than for seeing.

Variants and Related Words

• Lorgnon (noun): A French term sometimes used interchangeably with "lorgnette," though it can also refer to a pair of eyeglasses without a handle, or pince-nez.
• Opera glasses: A related optical device, typically binoculars on a handle, used for viewing performances. While similar in use and form, opera glasses are specifically designed for magnification at a distance.

Synonyms

• Hand-held eyeglasses
• Opera glasses (when referring to the binocular type on a handle)

Idioms and Phrases

• To view through a lorgnette: This phrase can be used metaphorically to suggest observing something in a detached, critical, or overly refined manner.
  • He viewed the modern art exhibition through a lorgnette, finding it all rather vulgar.

Noun

1. eyeglasses that are held to the eyes with a long handle