parabolic reflector
- noun
- /ˌpærəˈbɑlɪk rɪˈflɛktər/
- Specialized
:
reflector parabólico
- The engineer designed a parabolic reflector that could direct sound waves to a specific location.
Examples
-
Other flashlights that utilize clear bulbs and focus by parabolic reflectors produce a dark ring or hot spot in the center of the beam at close distances and are therefore not suitable.
Academic text (1998) -
From the rim, braided-iron threads were led through a ring at the back of the parabolic reflector, dwarfing this as the reflector dwarfed the hull, and now the sail was ready to move.
Fiction book (1992) -
A parabolic reflector is used in telescopes to focus light onto a detector.
-
Using a parabolic reflector in solar cookers helps to concentrate sunlight and cook food efficiently.
Synonyms
1
6.6
A curved shiny surface that focuses parallel light rays to one point
A curved dish that sends out a parallel beam or focuses parallel light and radio waves
How Focused
- Specialized
775
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: it denotes a reflector (a device that redirects waves) that is parabolic (shaped like a parabola), so the idea of a concave surface that focuses or produces a parallel beam follows directly from the parts. This follows a standard adjective+noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun parabolic reflector comes from a curved dish, where parabolic means the bowl shape and reflector is something that bounces rays. The dish makes rays meet at a single spot called the 'focus' or sends them out as a straight beam, so a parabolic reflector is used to focus light, sound, or radio waves.