From Greek 'monos' (single) + Latin 'oculus' (eye) — literally a single-eye lens.
A single eyeglass, kept in position by the muscles around the eye.
From French 'monocle,' formed from Late Latin 'monoculus' (one-eyed), composed of Greek 'mono-' (single, alone) and Latin 'oculus' (eye). The Greek element 'mono-' traces to PIE *oino- (one), while 'oculus' traces to PIE *okʷ- (to see, eye), the same root that gives Latin 'oculus,' Greek 'ōps' (eye, face), and Old English 'ēage' (eye). The word entered English in the 19th century
The word 'monocle' is a hybrid of Greek and Latin — 'mono-' from Greek 'monos' (single) and '-cle' from Latin 'oculus' (eye). Its cousin 'binocular' uses the Latin prefix 'bini-' (two by two) with 'oculus.' Even English 'eye' is a distant cognate of 'oculus,' both from PIE *h₃ekʷ- (to see).
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity