Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Periscope By Etymonline

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Origin and history of periscope

periscope(n.)

viewing apparatus on a submarine, by which objects in a horizontal view may be seen through a vertical tube, 1899, formed in English from peri- "around" + -scope "instrument for viewing." Earlier (1865) a technical term in photography. Related: Periscopic.

also from 1899

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peri-

word-forming element in words of Greek origin or formation meaning "around, about, enclosing," from Greek peri (prep.) "around, about, beyond," cognate with Sanskrit pari "around, about, through," Latin per, from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before, first, chief, toward, near, around, against." Equivalent in sense to Latin circum-.

-scope

word-forming element indicating "an instrument for seeing," from Late Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein "to look at, examine" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").

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Trends of periscope

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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aboutMiddle English aboute, from Old English abutan (adv., prep.), earlier onbutan "on the outside of; around the circumference of, enveloping; in the vicinity of, near; hither and thither, from place to place," also "with a rotating or spinning motion," in late Old English "near in tsubmarinealso sub-marine, "situated, acting, or living under the sea," 1640s, from sub- "under, beneath" + marine (adj.)...."vessel that can remain underwater and be propelled when entirely submerged," 1899, short for earlier submarine boat (1640s, as a possibility), submarine vessel (173bus1832, "public street carriage," originally a colloquial abbreviation of omnibus (q.v.). The modern English noun is nothing but a Latin dative plural ending. To miss the bus, in the figurative sense of "lose an opportunity," is from 1901, Australian English (OED has a figurative mdub"give a name to," originally "make a knight," from late Old English dubbian "knight by ceremonially striking with a sword" (11c.), a word perhaps borrowed from Old French aduber "equip with arms, adorn" (11c.) which is of uncertain origin, probably Germanic, but there are phonetiterrific1660s, "frightening," from Latin terrificus "causing terror or fear, frightful," from terrere "fill with fear" (see terrible) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Weakened sensed of "very great, severe" (as in terrific headache) appeared 1809;concert1660s, "agreement of two or more in design or plan; accord, harmony," from French concert (16c.), from Italian concerto "concert, harmony," from concertare "bring into agreement," apparently from Latin concertare "to contend with zealously, contest, dispute, debate" from assimilaDutchlate 14c., of language, "German, non-Scandinavian continental Germanic," also as a noun, "a German language;" also in Duche-lond "Germany." By mid-15c. distinguished into Higher and Lower, and used after c. 1600 in the narrower sense "Hollanders, residents of the Netherlands." FrPrometheusin Greek mythology, a demigod (son of the Titan Iapetus) who made man from clay and stole fire from heaven and taught mankind its use, for which he was punished by Zeus by being chained to a rock in the Caucasus, where a vulture came every day and preyed on his liver. The name isbroodOld English brod "offspring of egg-laying animals, hatchlings, young birds hatched in one nest," from Proto-Germanic *brod (source also of Middle Dutch broet, Old High German bruot, German Brut "brood"), etymologically "that which is hatched by heat," from *bro- "to warm, heat," squaremid-13c., "mason's tool for measuring right angles, carpenter's square," from Old French esquire "a square, squareness," from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, a back-formation from *exquadrare "to square," from Latin ex "out" (see ex-) + quadrare "make square, set in order, complete," fro

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscopeCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscope">Etymology of periscope by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of periscope. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 3, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscopeCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of periscope," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 3, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscope.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of periscope." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscope. Accessed 3 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of periscope." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/periscope (accessed January 3, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near periscope

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