paraboloid reflector
- noun
- /ˌpærəˈboʊlɔɪd rɪˈflɛktər/
- Specialized
:
reflector paraboloide
- Chandra's four nested hyperboloid-paraboloid reflectors provide an unprecedented imaging angular resolution of better than 1 arcsecond (see the image above).
Examples
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The telescope uses aparaboloid reflector to focus light from distant stars.
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Aparaboloid reflector enables the satellite dish to receive signals effectively.
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Engineers design cars with aparaboloid reflector headlight to create a bright, focused beam.
Synonyms
1
6.6
A curved shiny surface that focuses parallel light rays to one point
A curved surface shaped like a bowl that focuses light or sound into a beam
How Focused
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'paraboloid' (a paraboloid-shaped surface) modifies 'reflector' to mean a reflector having that shape. A learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer it is a reflector shaped like a paraboloid and thus used to focus or produce parallel rays, so the overall meaning is immediately derivable.
Etymology
The noun paraboloid reflector names a curved, dish-like mirror called a paraboloid that makes light rays bounce so they meet at the same point. Because of that shape, it can either send light out as a straight 'beam' or gather incoming straight rays into one 'focus', which is why we use it in telescopes, dishes, and headlights.