a piece of transparent substance, usually glass, having two opposite surfaces either both curved or one curved and one plane, used in an optical device in changing the convergence of light rays, as for magnification, or in correcting defects of vision.
a combination of such pieces.
some analogous device, as for affecting sound waves, electromagnetic radiation, or streams of electrons.
Anatomy. crystalline lens.
Geology. a body of rock or ore that is thick in the middle and thinner toward the edges, similar in shape to a biconvex lens.
a piece of glass or other transparent material, used to converge or diverge transmitted light and form optical images
Also called: compound lens. a combination of such lenses for forming images or concentrating a beam of light
a device that diverges or converges a beam of electromagnetic radiation, sound, or particles See electron lens
anatomy See crystalline lens
A transparent structure behind the iris of the eye that focuses light entering the eye on the retina.
A piece of glass or plastic shaped so as to focus or spread light rays that pass through it, often for the purpose of forming an image.
A combination of two or more such lenses, as in a camera or telescope.
A device that causes radiation to converge or diverge by an action analogous to that of an optical lens. The system of electric fields used to focus electron beams in electron microscopes is an example of a lens.
First recorded in 1685–95; from New Latin, special use of Latin lēns “a lentil” (from its shape); see lentil
A lens is a curved transparent device that bends light, like the lens of eyeglasses or a contact lens you’ll need if the natural lens in your eye needs help. Cameras have a lens, too. Smile! In an eye, the lens — which is behind the iris — helps focus light on the retina so you can see. It's a lot like the lens in a telescope or camera, which also focuses light and helps form images. You can also use the word lens as a metaphor for how you see things. If you look at sports through the lens of medicine, you might study injuries to players. All these lenses help you see or perceive things.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“What we have seen so far is increasingly interpreted through the lens of ‘salami-slicing’ tactics—limited, incremental escalation designed to weaken capabilities before a larger confrontation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
If you are taking a picture of the event with your smart phone you should protect your camera with a solar filter or you can just put a pair of eclipse glasses over the lens.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The cone-shaped system collects sunlight with a Fresnel lens approximately the size of a household window and channels that light into an optical fiber about as wide as a human hair.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
“Chef’s Table” showed me that food could be a lens through which to understand culture, grief, resilience, identity, and community.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
A pair of plastic red binoculars with a lens missing, an old Scrabble set, and a Magic 8 Ball.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
The opening section, "Bowie Through a Lens", explores how photography shaped Bowie's image and identity, including work by Terry O'Neill, Mick Rock, Sukita, and Brian Ward.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Lens averaged 51.9% possession in 2025-26 - but their game was less about long spells on the ball and more about what happened the moment they won it back.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Crystal Palace have appointed Lens manager Pierre Sage as their head coach on a three-year contract.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Lens made 426 high turnovers during the 2025-26 season, frequently turning those moments into chances - producing 69 shots and seven goals.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The Allies' line was continued by de Castlenau through Roye to Albert, and thence, by Maud'huy's Tenth Army, through Arras to Lens.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various
“His prescription contact lenses had expired,” Sidhar reported, “and he told his chain of command that he couldn’t even see what he was doing, and he was worried about causing accidents.”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
The government advised not to use eclipse glasses if the lenses are scratched, torn or damaged.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“You need to deal with what you wear and wear it comfortably,” the 35-year-old teacher told AFP, brandishing a sword and wearing blood-red contact lenses.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Instead of relying on bulky lenses and hardware, researchers are exploring materials that can manipulate light at the atomic scale.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
With the press of a tiny button on its side, the glasses could also switch back and forth like polarized lenses between the virtual world and the real world.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
