Monocular

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A monocular is a modified refracting telescope used to magnify the images of distant objects by passing light through a series of lenses and prisms; the use of prisms results in a lightweight telescope. Volume and weight are less than half those of binoculars, making it easy to carry along.

Monoculars, sometimes called telescopes when used in this capacity, are often used by visually impaired people to see distant objects that would normally be undiscernable. For example, they are often used to read text on a chalkboard or projection screen.