I. ˈte-lə-ˌskōp noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: New Latin telescopium, from Greek tēleskopos farseeing, from tēle- tele- + skopos watcher; akin to Greek skopein to look — more at spy
Date: 1648
1. : a usually tubular optical instrument for viewing distant objects by means of the refraction of light rays through a lens or the reflection of light rays by a concave mirror — compare reflector , refractor
2. : any of various tubular magnifying optical instruments
3. : radio telescope
II. verb
( -scoped ; -scop·ing )
Date: 1867
intransitive verb
1. : to become forced together lengthwise with one part entering another as the result of collision
2. : to slide or pass one within another like the cylindrical sections of a collapsible hand telescope
3. : to become compressed or condensed
transitive verb
1. : to cause to telescope
2. : compress , condense
the book arbitrarily telescope s time and space, and as arbitrarily extends them — Phoebe Adams