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.
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 particles See electron lens
anatomy See crystalline lens
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.
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.
First recorded in 1685–95; from New Latin, special use of Latin lēns “a lentil” (from its shape); see lentil
A lens is a curved transparent device that bends light, like the lens of eyeglasses or a contact lens you’ll need if the natural lens in your eye needs help. Cameras have a lens, too. Smile! In an eye, the lens — which is behind the iris — helps focus light on the retina so you can see. It's a lot like the lens in a telescope or camera, which also focuses light and helps form images. You can also use the word lens as a metaphor for how you see things. If you look at sports through the lens of medicine, you might study injuries to players. All these lenses help you see or perceive things.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its mirror was ground and polished with extraordinary precision—to the wrong shape, because a lens in the test device sat 1.3 millimeters out of place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
We’re past due for dystopian storytelling to train its lens on a creature in the here and now, one whose very survival speaks to consequential global change.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
But it does mean that the permabulls, too, are viewing the world through a distorted lens.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
In that configuration, the gravity of the foreground black hole could have acted like a lens, bending light from the second jet behind it.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
A marvel of miniature engineering, the T-50 had a lens only four millimeters wide.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Lens Technology’s H shares are down 7.6% at HK$15.14 and its A shares are 0.65% lower at 27.63 yuan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
But Sage has had a tough start at Selhurst Park since he arrived after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second in Ligue 1 last season.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
He also denied participating in the student protests in his city of Lens.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
For a rough estimate for what certain items in your home might fetch, try taking photos and then asking Google Lens, eBay Virtual Search or an AI bot like ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Had reserves been available at once to consolidate the gains thus won, Lens itself might have been taken, and a door flung open leading to Lille.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various
Joanne said her vision had been blurry as she did not have glasses on or contact lenses in, but she had seen a car outside which she did not recognise after leaving the bathroom.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
He appears already sporting a pair of white-out contact lenses to give him the zombified look, noting, “It’s blurry, but I can see.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Traditionally, producing and controlling such light has often involved specialized materials, carefully designed surfaces, or powerful lenses that focus beams extremely tightly.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
‘I would say urgency means we’re going to look at every cost with aggressive lenses and with the lenses that everything that is not related to growth will not be part of the company.’
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
They’re crooked now, and the lenses are all scraped.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
