Fresnel lens

noun

Optics. a large lens with a surface of concentric grooves of prismatic profile, used in automobile headlights, searchlights, spotlights, etc.

Origin of Fresnel lens

First recorded in 1840–50; see origin at fresnel

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British Dictionary definitions for fresnel lens

Fresnel lens

noun

a lens consisting of a number of smaller lenses arranged to give a flat surface of short focal length

Word Origin for Fresnel lens

C20: named after Augustin Jean Fresnel (1788–1827), French physicist

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

Scientific definitions for fresnel lens

Fresnel lens

[ frə-nĕl′ ]

A thin optical lens consisting of concentric rings of segmental lenses and having a short focal length. Placing a light source at the focal point of the lens gives rise to a strong beam of nearly parallel rays. Fresnel lenses are used primarily in spotlights, lighthouses, and the headlights of motor vehicles.