camera lucida

American  

[loo-si-duh] / ˈlu sɪ də /

noun

1. an optical instrument, often attached to the eyepiece of a microscope, by which the image of an external object is projected on a sheet of paper or the like for tracing.

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camera lucida British  

/ ˈluːsɪdə /

noun

1. an instrument attached to a microscope, etc to enable an observer to view simultaneously the image and a drawing surface to facilitate the sketching of the image

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Etymology

Origin of camera lucida

1660–70; < New Latin: bright chamber; camera ¹, lucid

Example Sentences

The visual trick may have been created by the artist’s use of a common optical viewing aid called a camera lucida.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2025

Precisely ground, the mirrors were able to start fires and project images onto flat surfaces, camera lucida fashion.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

All that is needed is what is known as a camera lucida.

From The Story of the Cotton Plant by Wilkinson, Frederick

I speak confidently on this latter point, as Sir J. Lubbock made drawings for me, with the camera lucida, of the jaws which I dissected from the workers of the several sizes.

From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles

For minute species, camera lucida drawings of the spores, together with their measurements, will add greatly to the practical value of a collection.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)