optical prism
- noun
- /ˈɑptɪkəl ˈprɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
prisma óptico
- When white light passes through an optical prism, it is separated into a spectrum of colors.
Examples
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The experiment required a high-quality optical prism to accurately manipulate the laser beam.
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He observed the inverted image formed by the optical prism during the demonstration.
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The optical prism refracted the light beautifully.
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Have you ever seen an optical prism in action?
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When white light passes through an optical prism, it is separated into a spectrum of colors.
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The experiment required a high-quality optical prism to accurately manipulate the laser beam.
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He observed the inverted image formed by the optical prism during the demonstration.
Synonyms
3
5.0
A triangular piece of glass that bends light and splits it into colors
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is transparently compositional: 'optical' (relating to light/vision) simply specifies the domain of 'prism', and 'prism' already denotes a glass device that refracts or disperses light. A B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the combined meaning without prior exposure, and the same logic exists across many languages.
Etymology
Optical prism is a name that comes from the object's shape and job: prism comes from an old Greek word meaning 'something cut', because it is a small, cut piece of glass, and optical means 'about light'. When white light goes through the prism the glass bends and 'splits' the light into a band of colors, so the name matches what it does.