coude telescope
- noun
- /kuːˈdeɪ ˈtɛlɪskoʊp/
- Specialized
- The observatory installed a coude telescope to enable high-resolution spectrographic studies.
Examples
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Unlike other designs, a coude telescope directs the light path to a stationary laboratory setup.
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Researchers used the coude telescope for long-exposure observations due to its stable focal point.
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The coude telescope is essential for modern astrophysics.
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Have you ever used a coude telescope before?
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Researchers used the coude telescope for long-exposure observations due to its stable focal point.
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The observatory installed a coude telescope to enable high-resolution spectrographic studies.
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A coude telescope is often preferred in astrophysical research because it directs light to a fixed focus.
Synonyms
Part of a telescope that directs light to a fixed place for a camera or instrument to study light
A telescope setup that bends light to a fixed point so instruments stay still
Surface Forms
Morphology
coude + telescope
The modifier 'coude' is a specialized, non‑transparent loanword (not attested in the provided dictionary entry) and does not convey a clear, general meaning to a B1 learner. Even knowing 'telescope', a learner would not be able to derive the technical sense of a reflecting instrument with light routed to a fixed focus (used with plate holders or spectrographs), so the phrase is not compositionally predictable.
Etymology
The noun coude telescope gets its name from the French word coude, meaning 'elbow', because its mirrors bend the path of light like an elbow bends an arm and send the light to a single 'fixed spot'. This keeps instruments still at that 'fixed spot', so the telescope is ideal for long exposures and precise instruments like a spectrograph.