US /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɑ.pɪk/ UK /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɒp.ɪk/
adj Freq #15221

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    So small that it can only be seen with a microscope.

    The water was full of microscopic organisms.

  2. 2
    adj

    Extremely small; tiny.

    Compared to the galaxy, we are microscopic in scale.

  3. 3
    adj

    Done with very close attention to the smallest details.

    The police carried out a microscopic search of the crime scene.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · so small that it can only... microscopical
Opposites
Word family
Derived forms amicroscopicbiomicroscopiccopromicroscopiccryomicroscopicelectromicroscopicendomicroscopicfluoromicroscopicimmunomicroscopicmicromorphmicromorphicmicroscopicalmicroscopically
Related forms macroscopicmicroscopenaked-eyetelescopic

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós) Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Hellenic *sképťomai Ancient Greek σκέπτομαι (sképtomai) Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Hellenic *-ós ▲ Ancient Greek -ος (-os)influ. Ancient Greek -ός (-ós) Ancient Greek σκοπός (skopós) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō)…

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