fiber optics
13
4.0
- noun
- /ˈfaɪbər ˈɒptɪks/
- Specialized
:
fibra óptica
- The telecom company confirmed that high-speed fiber optics were installed to improve internet speeds.
- fiber optics cables
- fiber optic system
- fiber optic sensors
It's used on a huge scale in fiber optics and communication and in laser printing, just to mention a few of the uses of lasers.
- It's used on a huge scale in fiber optics and communication and in laser printing, just to mention a few of the uses of lasers.
Examples
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All systems include sensor, fiber optic probe, and fiber optic cable.
Academic text (2003) -
It has a light source and that light source shines through fiber optics that you can bend around and that light comes out the outside.
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We're connected by memory chips and fibre optics.
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When the streets were flooded, even the fiber optics went.
Fiction book (1991) -
Basically, I wired up fiber optics in my walls at home.
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The fact that there have been no failures in the fiber optic systems is proof of their reliability.
Blog text (8) -
The growing use of fiber optics in telecommunications and cable systems makes almost unlimited bandwidth available for image transmission.
Academic text (1992) -
I've got us patched into the fiber optics.
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He decided to upgrade his home with fiber optics for faster streaming and better connectivity.
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Lucent plans to build a new fiber optics network that will enhance communication throughout the city.
Synonyms
7
3.9
A thin glass or plastic cable that sends data as light
1
4.2
A very thin glass or plastic thread that carries light signals to send data quickly
Light travels through thin glass or plastic threads to carry data quickly over long distances
A system that sends data as light through thin glass cables for very fast long-distance connections
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is transparently built from 'fiber' (thin strands carrying light) and 'optics' (study/technology of light), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the optical technology using fibers. This compound pattern is productive and mirrored in many languages (e.g. fibra óptica, fibre optique), making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The term fiber optics comes from very thin glass or plastic fiber threads that carry 'light' like tiny pipes, and the word optics points to that use of 'light'. That's why it means using these clear fibers to send 'signals' or 'data' quickly over long distances.