collimate

American

[kol-uh-meyt] / ˈkɒl əˌmeɪt /

verb (used with object)

collimated, collimating

to bring into line; make parallel.
to adjust accurately the line of sight of (a telescope).

collimate British

/ ˈkɒlɪˌmeɪt /

verb

to adjust the line of sight of (an optical instrument)
to use a collimator on (a beam of radiation or particles)
to make parallel or bring into line

"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

Other Word Forms

collimation noun

Etymology

Origin of collimate

1615–25; < Latin collimātus, misreading of collineātus, past participle of collineāre to direct in a straight line, equivalent to col- col- ¹ + -lineā-, verbal derivative of linea line ¹ + -tus past participle suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dr. Donald Frush, chief of pediatric radiology at the Duke University School of Medicine, said that failing to properly cone, or collimate, the radiation was rare.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023