"glass lenses to help a person's sight," early 15c., from plural of spectacle. Earlier in singular form (late 14c.).
Entries linking to spectacles
spectacle n.
mid-14c., "specially prepared or arranged display," from Old French spectacle "sight, spectacle, Roman games" (13c.), from Latin spectaculum "a public show, spectacle, place from which shows are seen," from spectare "to view, watch, behold," frequentative form of specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").