Spex

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Eyeglasses worn to correct vision ; the chance or likelihood that something will occur
2. Glasses used to correct or protect the eyes ; a reasonable expectation or probability of a future outcome
3. Spectacles for improving sight ; the prospect or possibility that an event may take place

Etymology: Spectacles began as a word for a show. It entered English from Old French "spectacle", which came from Latin "spectaculum", meaning a public display or sight, derived from "spectare", "to watch". The sense of a pair of lenses for the eyes developed later, when a sight became a device for seeing better. "Spex" is an informal British clipping of "specs", which is itself short for "spectacles". The x in the spelling is a playful respelling of that clipped form, so the word has been shortened twice, from the full Old French-derived noun to "specs" and then to "spex".