half-wave plate
[ haf-weyv, hahf- ]
/ ˈhæfˌweɪv, ˈhɑf- /
noun Optics.
a crystal thin enough to cause a phase difference of 180° between the ordinary and extraordinary rays of polarized light, thereby changing the direction of the plane of polarization.
QUIZZES
THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST
In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?
Question 1 of 10
seclusion
Compare quarter-wave plate.
Origin of half-wave plate
First recorded in 1900–05
Words nearby half-wave plate
half-turn, half-turning, half twist, half-used, half volley, half-wave plate, half-wave rectifier, halfway, halfway house, half Wellington, half-wit
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021