barrel distortion

noun Optics.

a distortion produced by a lens in which the magnification decreases toward the edge of the field.

Compare pincushion distortion.

Origin of barrel distortion

First recorded in 1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for barrel distortion

barrel distortion

noun

photog distortion of an image produced by an optical system that causes straight lines at image margins to bulge outwards

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012