‖verkyker, noun

/ˈfɛːrkeɪkə(r)//ˈfeəkeɪkə/
Forms:
Also verkijker.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans vêrkyker telescope; (plural) binoculars (vêr far + kyker looker).
In the plural : Binoculars. Also figurative.
1937 G.F. Gibson Story of Imp. Light Horse 180‘What have you done with your field glasses?’...‘Don’t know!’ was the reply; ‘I certainly had verkijkers; they must have dropped while I was racing away.’
1980 Voice 29 Oct. 2A member of the group told me that he had used his verkykers from the 50th floor of a Johannesburg hotel. And that there in Soweto some 20-km away, he had observed some 1,5 million smiling Bantus.
1983 V. Mgoyoyo in Drum June 23If all Afrikaners would pick up their verkykers and have a good look at our situation.., I am dead sure South Africa would be God’s playground instead of the Devil’s.
1985 Weekly Mail 28 June 15Some 60 000 biltong-munching rugby fans packed their lunch hampers, a little liquid refreshment and a pair of verkykers, and trooped off to watch the Match of the Day at Pretoria’s sunny Loftus Versfeld last Saturday.
In the plural :Binoculars. Also figurative.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19371985

Browse Related Words

By Category

Household Items

By Origin

Afrikaans

By Usage

figurative or allusive
verkramptheid, nounn.verlep, adjectiveadj.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English