different between micro vs microscopic

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ?????? (mikrós, “small”), or shortened form for modern words formed from its derivative micro-.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?ma?.k?o?/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ma?.k???/

Adjective

micro (comparative more micro, superlative most micro)

1. Small, relatively small; used to contrast levels of the noun modified.

   At the micro level he was a good manager. At the macro level he failed.

Antonyms

• macro

Noun

micro (countable and uncountable, plural micros)

1. (colloquial) Clipping of microwave oven.

   Just put it in the micro for 30 seconds and it's ready to eat.

2. (colloquial, economics, uncountable) Clipping of microeconomics.
3. (computing, dated, countable) short form of microcomputer
   • 1984, Mike Gerrard, Bryan Skinner, Mr Chips comes home: micros and home education (page 23)

     If you can possibly afford to spend a few more pounds then you should move up into the next price bracket, where the potential of the home micro starts to be realised.

   • 1986, Rachael Smith, Bomb Jack (video game review) in Your Sinclair issue 5, May 1986
4. (gaming, slang, uncountable) micromanagement

   • So what sort of hero is this bounding, bomb collecting midget? The answer is an arcade hero - and now he's let loose in your micro courtesy of conversion kings, Elite.

Derived terms

• (microcomputer): micromania

Verb

micro (third-person singular simple present micros or microes, present participle microing, simple past and past participle microed)

1. (gaming slang) to micromanage

Anagrams

• Romic, cormi, moric

French

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. mic (microphone)
2. micro (microcomputer)
3. (obsolete) microscope

Further reading

• “micro” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mik?o/, [?mi.k?o]

Etymology 1

Short for microbús.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Chile, Argentina) public bus

   Synonyms: ómnibus, colectivo

2. (Mexico) minibus

   Synonyms: pesero, combi

Etymology 2

Short for microondas.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Spain) microwave

Etymology 3

Short for micrófono.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Spain) mic, microphone

Further reading

• “micro” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

micro- +? -scopic

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: 'm?kr?'sk?p?k, IPA^(key): /?ma?k???sk?p?k/
• Rhymes: -?p?k

Adjective

microscopic (comparative more microscopic, superlative most microscopic)

1. Of, or relating to microscopes or microscopy; microscopal

2. So small that it can only be seen using a microscope.

3. Very small; minute
4. Carried out with great attention to detail.

5. Able to see extremely minute objects.

   • Why has not man a microscopic eye?

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:tiny

Antonyms

• macroscopic

Related terms

• microscope
• macroscopic
• telescopic

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• naked-eye

Interlingua

Adjective

microscopic (not comparable)

1. microscopic

Related terms

• microscopia
• microscopio

Romanian

Etymology

From French microscopique.

Adjective

microscopic m or n (feminine singular microscopic?, masculine plural microscopici, feminine and neuter plural microscopice)

1. microscopic

Declension