Word.ws English Dictionary

specular

/ˈspɛk.jʊ.lə/US/ˈspɛk.jə.lɚ/

specular adjective: pertaining to mirrors; mirror-like, reflective.

Adjective

specular (comparative more specular, superlative most specular)

  1. Pertaining to mirrors; mirror-like, reflective.
    • a perfect likeness would rather suggest a specular, and hence speculatory, phenomenon [...].1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 14
  2. Of or relating to a speculum; conducted with the aid of a speculum.
    • a specular examination
  3. Assisting sight, like a lens etc.
    • Thy specular orb / Apply to well-dissected kernels; lo! / In each observe the slender threads / Of first-beginning trees.1708, John Philips, Cyder
  4. (poetic) Offering an expansive view; picturesque.
    • Calm as the Universe, from specular towers / Of heaven contemplated by Spirits pure.1833, William Wordsworth, Hope Smiled
    • Look once more, e're we leave this specular mount.1671, John Milton, “The Fourth Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC

specular meaning in Tamil

specular in Tamil

கண்ணகற்சிக் கருவியியல்புடைய, உலோகப் பளிங்கியலான, உலோகப் பளிங்கு சார்ந்த, எதிர்நிழலுருக்காட்டுகிற

Forms of specular

comparativemore specular
superlativemost specular

Origin of specular

From Latin speculāris, from speculum; and in some senses from speculārī (“to watch, observe”). Some later senses via French spéculaire.

Words formed from specular

Phrases with specular

Questions about specular

What does specular mean?
Specular means pertaining to mirrors; mirror-like, reflective.
What is specular in Tamil?
Specular in Tamil is கண்ணகற்சிக் கருவியியல்புடைய, உலோகப் பளிங்கியலான, உலோகப் பளிங்கு சார்ந்த. See Specular meaning in Tamil.
What part of speech is specular?
Specular is an adjective.
How do you pronounce specular?
Specular is pronounced /ˈspɛk.jʊ.lə/ (UK).

Words near specular in the dictionary

  1. specula
  2. speculaas
  3. speculable
  4. speculant
  5. speculants
  6. specular
  7. specular iron
  8. specular stone
  9. specular stones
  10. specularise
  11. specularised

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: specular (page history and authors); specular (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-specular.wav.

Cite this entry: “specular.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/specular. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.