Word Meanings - LENS - Book Publishers vocabulary database

A piece of glass, or other transparent substance, ground with two opposite regular surfaces, either both curved, or one curved and the other plane, and commonly used, either singly or combined, in optical instruments, for changing the direction

Additional info about word: LENS

A piece of glass, or other transparent substance, ground with two opposite regular surfaces, either both curved, or one curved and the other plane, and commonly used, either singly or combined, in optical instruments, for changing the direction of rays of light, and thus magnifying objects, or otherwise modifying vision. In practice, the curved surfaces are usually spherical, though rarely cylindrical, or of some other figure. Lenses Note: Of spherical lenses, there are six varieties, as shown in section in the figures herewith given: viz., a plano-concave; b double-concave; c plano-convex; d double-convex; converging concavo- convex, or converging meniscus; f diverging concavo-convex, or diverging meniscus. Crossed lens , a double-convex lens with one radius equal to six times the other. -- Crystalline lens. See Eye. -- Fresnel lens , a compound lens formed by placing around a central convex lens rings of glass so curved as to have the same focus; used, especially in lighthouses, for concentrating light in a particular direction; -- so called from the inventor. -- Multiplying lens or glass , a lens one side of which is plane and the other convex, but made up of a number of plane faces inclined to one another, each of which presents a separate image of the object viewed through it, so that the object is, as it were, multiplied. -- Polyzonal lens. See Polyzonal. (more info) the resemblance in shape of a double convex lens to the seed of a

Related words: (words related to LENS)

• PLANE TREE
  See PLANE
• GROUNDWORK
  That which forms the foundation or support of anything; the basis; the essential or fundamental part; first principle. Dryden.
• REGULARITY
  The condition or quality of being regular; as, regularity of outline; the regularity of motion.
• TRANSPARENT
  transparere to be transparent; L. trans across, through + parere to 1. Having the property of transmitting rays of light, so that bodies can be distinctly seen through; pervious to light; diaphanous; pellucid; as, transparent glass; a transparent
• GROUNDEN
  p. p. of Grind. Chaucer.
• OTHERGUISE; OTHERGUESS
  Of another kind or sort; in another way. "Otherguess arguments." Berkeley.
• CHANGEFUL
  Full of change; mutable; inconstant; fickle; uncertain. Pope. His course had been changeful. Motley. -- Change"ful*ly, adv. -- Change"ful*ness, n.
• GLASSEN
  Glassy; glazed. And pursues the dice with glassen eyes. B. Jonson.
• SINGLY
  1. Individually; particularly; severally; as, to make men singly and personally good. 2. Only; by one's self; alone. Look thee, 't is so! Thou singly honest man. Shak. 3. Without partners, companions, or associates; single-handed; as, to attack
• CURVIROSTRES
  A group of passerine birds, including the creepers and nuthatches.
• CURVICAUDATE
  Having a curved or crooked tail.
• GROUNDNUT
  The fruit of the Arachis hypogæa ; the peanut; the earthnut. A leguminous, twining plant , producing clusters of dark purple flowers and having a root tuberous and pleasant to the taste. The dwarf ginseng . Gray. A European plant of the genus
• REGULARIA
  A division of Echini which includes the circular, or regular, sea urchins.
• GLASSINESS
  The quality of being glassy.
• PIECER
  1. One who pieces; a patcher. 2. A child employed in spinning mill to tie together broken threads.
• GLASSWORT
  A seashore plant of the Spinach family , with succulent jointed stems; also, a prickly plant of the same family , both formerly burned for the sake of the ashes, which yield soda for making glass and soap.
• GLASS-ROPE
  A remarkable vitreous sponge, of the genus Hyalonema, first brought from Japan. It has a long stem, consisting of a bundle of long and large, glassy, siliceous fibers, twisted together.
• COMMONLY
  1. Usually; generally; ordinarily; frequently; for the most part; as, confirmed habits commonly continue trough life. 2. In common; familiary. Spenser.
• CURVE
  Bent without angles; crooked; curved; as, a curve line; a curve surface.
• GROUNDLESS
  Without ground or foundation; wanting cause or reason for support; not authorized; false; as, groundless fear; a groundless report or assertion. -- Ground"less*ly, adv. -- Ground"less*ness, n.
• NOTOTHERIUM
  An extinct genus of gigantic herbivorous marsupials, found in the Pliocene formation of Australia.
• MISGROUND
  To found erroneously. "Misgrounded conceit." Bp. Hall.
• ISOGEOTHERMAL; ISOGEOTHERMIC
  Pertaining to, having the nature of, or marking, isogeotherms; as, an isogeothermal line or surface; as isogeothermal chart. -- n.
• SYNOPTIC; SYNOPTICAL
  Affording a general view of the whole, or of the principal parts of a thing; as, a synoptic table; a synoptical statement of an argument. "The synoptic Gospels." Alford. -- Syn*op"tic*al*ly, adv.
• SMOTHER
  Etym: 1. To destroy the life of by suffocation; to deprive of the air necessary for life; to cover up closely so as to prevent breathing; to suffocate; as, to smother a child. 2. To affect as by suffocation; to stife; to deprive of air by a thick
• IRREGULARITY
  The state or quality of being irregular; that which is irregular.
• UNDERGROUND INSURANCE
  Wildcat insurance.
• ISOTHEROMBROSE
  A line connecting or marking points on the earth's surface, which have the same mean summer rainfall.
• PLAYGROUND
  A piece of ground used for recreation; as, the playground of a school.
• SPARPIECE
  The collar beam of a roof; the spanpiece. Gwilt.
• LOSINGLY
  In a manner to incur loss.
• ANOTHER-GUESS
  Of another sort. It used to go in another-guess manner. Arbuthnot.
• UNMOTHERED
  Deprived of a mother; motherless.
• REEXCHANGE
  To exchange anew; to reverse .