Sentence:  Mr Sadleir's prose style recalls Whistler's at every turn. There are the same terrific and nonchalant <WSD>telescopings</WSD> of continents and centuries, and the same honeyed omniscience, kind but firm, and the same want of an innate sense of proportion ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The act of extending or contracting in the manner of a telescope.