telescopic
Meaning
relating to, made with, or containing a telescope
consisting of sections that slide one inside another, allowing extension and contraction
Structure
Usage
the observatory made a new telescopic image of the nebula available to the public.
the tripod features telescopic legs for easy adjustment and portability.
his telescopic sight allowed him to see the target with incredible clarity.
Etymology
the word 'telescopic' is a modern scientific formation built upon the earlier noun 'telescope'. it combines two ancient greek roots: 'tēle-', meaning 'far off', and 'skopein', meaning 'to look at'. the literal construction 'seeing what is distant' perfectly captures the primary function of the instrument. the adjectival suffix '-ic', of latin and greek origin, was then appended to form a word describing anything pertaining to or achieved by a telescope. the secondary meaning, describing collapsible sections that extend, is a metaphorical extension from the way old refracting telescopes were constructed from sliding tubes.
Analysis
tele (from greek 'tēle-', meaning 'far off, distant', a combining form indicating distance); scop (from greek 'skopein', meaning 'to look, see, examine', a combining form indicating viewing); ic (from latin '-icus', via old french '-ique', an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'of, pertaining to, or having the nature of')