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refractor

refractor

6.7
A material or device that bends light and changes its direction
  • noun
  • /rɪˈfræktər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refractor
  • A refractor uses lenses to bend light, making it a popular choice for amateur astronomers.

Examples

  • The refractor telescope allowed us to view distant stars and planets with incredible clarity.

  • It means that what we have in the inside the refractor is converging spherical waves, OK.

  • When examining vision, the eye doctor often uses a refractor to determine the correct lens prescription.

Synonyms

lens
vsrefractor
175 2.5

A clear curved piece of glass or plastic that focuses light

bends light as it passes through material to change its direction
deflector
vsrefractor
  • Specialized
70 6.3

A device that changes the direction of air, water, or smoke

bends light inside a material to alter its path rather than redirecting flows

How Refractive

refractiveness
  • Specialized
9.8
refractor
  • Specialized
6.7

Surface Forms

refractor singular
refractors plural

Morphology

refractor = refract (transparent) = refract + or

The word denotes something that causes or exhibits refraction; this is a straightforward agent/result noun formation from 'refract' + '-or'.

Etymology

Refractor comes from the Latin parts re- 'back' and frangere 'to break', the same root found in fracture and fraction. A helpful image is a glass prism that 'breaks' light into new directions, which is exactly what a refractor does to change the path of light.