lens
[ lenz ]
/ lɛnz /
noun, plural lens·es.
a piece of transparent substance, usually glass, having two opposite surfaces either both curved or one curved and one plane, used in an optical device in changing the convergence of light rays, as for magnification, or in correcting defects of vision.
a combination of such pieces.
some analogous device, as for affecting sound waves, electromagnetic radiation, or streams of electrons.
Anatomy. crystalline lens.
Geology. a body of rock or ore that is thick in the middle and thinner toward the edges, similar in shape to a biconvex lens.
verb (used with object)
Movies. to film (a motion picture).
Nearby words
leno, lenoir, lenora, lenore, lenox, lensing, lens hood, lens pit, lens stars, lens turret, lens vesicle
Origin of lens
Related formslens·less, adjectivelens·like, adjectiveun·lensed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for lensing (1 of 2)
lens
/ (lɛnz) /
noun
a piece of glass or other transparent material, used to converge or diverge transmitted light and form optical images
Also called: compound lens a combination of such lenses for forming images or concentrating a beam of light
a device that diverges or converges a beam of electromagnetic radiation, sound, or particlesSee electron lens
anatomy See crystalline lens
Related formsRelated adjective: lenticular
Word Origin for lens
C17: from Latin lēns lentil, referring to the similarity of a lens to the shape of a lentil
British Dictionary definitions for lensing (2 of 2)
Lens
/ (lenz, French lɑ̃) /
noun
an industrial town in N France, in the Pas de Calais department; badly damaged in both World Wars. Pop: 36 206 (1999)
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
Word Origin and History for lensing
lens
1690s, "glass to regulate light rays," from Latin lens (genitive lentis) "lentil," on analogy of the double-convex shape. See lentil. Of the eye from 1719.
In the vernacular of the photographer, anyone crowding to the front of a group, staring into the lens, or otherwise attracting attention to himself is known as a "lens louse." ["American Photography," vol. 40, 1946; the term dates from 1915]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for lensing
lens
[ lĕnz ]
n. pl. lens•es
A ground or molded piece of glass, plastic, or other transparent material with opposite surfaces either or both of which are curved, by means of which light rays are refracted so that they converge or diverge to form an image.
A transparent, biconvex body of the eye between the iris and the vitreous humor that focuses light rays entering through the pupil to form an image on the retina.
Related formslensed adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for lensing
lens
[ lĕnz ]
A transparent structure behind the iris of the eye that focuses light entering the eye on the retina.
- A piece of glass or plastic shaped so as to focus or spread light rays that pass through it, often for the purpose of forming an image.
- A combination of two or more such lenses, as in a camera or telescope. Also called compound lens
A device that causes radiation to converge or diverge by an action analogous to that of an optical lens. The system of electric fields used to focus electron beams in electron microscopes is an example of a lens.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for lensing (1 of 2)
lens
A piece of transparent material, such as glass, that forms an image from the rays of light passing through it. (See focal length, refraction, and telescope.)
Culture definitions for lensing (2 of 2)
lens
A clear, almost spherical structure located just behind the pupil of the eye. The lens focuses waves of light on the retina.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.