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magnifier

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /mˈæɡnɪfˌaɪə/

US

  • /ˈmæɡnəˌfaɪər/

Description

Imagine trying to read tiny print on a map or look closely at the veins on a leaf. That is where a magnifier helps. A magnifier is something that makes an object look larger so small details are easier to see. The most common example is a magnifying glass, but the word can also describe a zoom feature on a camera, phone, or computer screen. People use magnifiers for reading small text, checking fine details, studying small objects, or helping with low vision. In everyday use, the idea is simple: it helps you see more clearly by making part of what you look at appear bigger.

Examples

  1. 1

    Small objects

    She kept a small magnifier in her sewing box for reading tiny labels.

  2. 2

    Jewelry

    The jeweler examined the ring through a magnifier.

  3. 3

    Accessibility tool

    You can turn on the screen magnifier if the text is too small.

    • Phrase

      screen magnifier

      software that makes part of a computer screen easier to see

  4. 4

    Figurative use

    In a crisis, poor communication becomes a magnifier of every small problem.

    • Pattern

      a magnifier of + problem/effect

      something that makes it seem stronger

Forms and spellings

2 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • magnifiernoun

Forms

  • magnifierspluralnoun