Speculum
Encyclopedia
The term speculum, Latin
for "mirror
", and its plural
specula, may refer to:
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
", and its plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
specula, may refer to:
- Speculum (medical)Speculum (medical)A speculum is a medical tool for investigating body cavities, with a form dependent on the body cavity for which it is designed. In old texts, the speculum may also be referred to as a diopter or dioptra...
, a medical tool used for examining body cavities - Speculum (journal)Speculum (journal)Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies is a quarterly academic journal published by the Medieval Academy of America. It was established in 1926. The journal's primary focus is on the time period from 500-1500 in Western Europe, but also on related subjects such as Byzantine, Hebrew, Arabic, and...
, a journal of medieval studies published by the Medieval Academy of America - Speculum feathersSpeculum feathersThe speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.Examples of the colour of the speculum in a number of ducks are:* Common Teal and Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green edged with buff....
, the secondary feathers on the inner part of a duck's wing which are often brightly coloured - Speculum metalSpeculum metalSpeculum metal is a mixture of around two-thirds copper and one-third tin making a white brittle alloy that can be polished to make a highly reflective surface. It is used primarily to make different kinds of mirrors including early reflecting telescope optical mirrors...
, an alloy containing copper and tin used for making all-metal mirrors - Speculum (butterfly), a skipper butterfly genus
- Ophrys speculum, a species of ground orchid
- Specula (gastropod), genus of sea snails in the family CerithiopsidaeCerithiopsidaeCerithiopsidae are a family of very small and minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs or micromollusks in the informal group Ptenoglossa. Gastropods in this family are known as cerithiopsids....