lens
[ lenz ]
/ lɛnz /
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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).
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Origin of lens
First recorded in 1685–95; from New Latin, special use of Latin lēns “a lentil” (from its shape); see lentil
OTHER WORDS FROM lens
lensless, adjectivelenslike, adjectiveun·lensed, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use lens in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for lens (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
Other words from lens
Related adjective: lenticularWord 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 lens (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
Scientific definitions for lens
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.
Cultural definitions for lens (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.)
Cultural definitions for lens (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.