lens
/lɛnz/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.17 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A device which focuses or defocuses other waves or radiation, such as microwave radiation, electron beams, sound waves (acoustic lenses), or explosions (explosive lenses).
noun
A convex shape bounded by two circular arcs, joined at their endpoints, the corresponding concave shape being a lune.
noun
The transparent crystalline structure in the eye.
noun
A convex layer of fresh groundwater that floats above the denser saltwater, usually found on small coral or limestone islands and atolls.
noun
A construct used in statically-typed functional programming languages to access nested data structures.
noun
A way of looking, literally or figuratively, at something.
Example Sentences
- "Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field."
- "The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail."
- "If "the public looks at the condition of America's children largely through a negative lens," worries Child Trends[…], "it may be more difficult to […] promote child well-being.""
- "No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through."
- "It’s set in an anonymous, upper-middle-class suburb, lensed in the generic gunmetal gray that will one day appear as dated as the fuzzy outlines of ’80s direct-to-video horror movies."
Etymology
Etymology tree substratebor.? Medieval Latin lēnsbor. English lens Borrowed from Latin lēns (“lentil”), with Medieval Latin later taking on the sense of “lens”, a semantic loan from Arabic عَدَسَة (ʕadasa, “lentil; optic lens”); the similar shape is the common factor.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: lēns