Müller-Lyer illusion
[ muhl-er-lahy-er, myoo-ler-, mil-er-; German myl-uhr-lee-uhr ]
/ ˈmʌl ərˈlaɪ ər, ˈmyu lər-, ˈmɪl ər-; German ˈmül ərˈli ər /
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noun
a geometric illusion in which two lines of equal length appear unequal depending on whether angular lines forming arrowheads at each end point toward or away from each other.
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Origin of Müller-Lyer illusion
After Franz-Karl Müller-Lyer (1857–1916), German sociologist, who described the illusion in 1889
Words nearby Müller-Lyer illusion
muller, mullered, müllerian, müllerian duct, Müllerian mimicry, Müller-Lyer illusion, mullet, mulley, mulligan, mulligatawny, mulligrubs
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for Müller-Lyer illusion
Müller-Lyer illusion
/ (ˈmuːləˈlaɪə) /
noun
an optical illusion in which a line with inward pointing arrowheads is seen as longer than an equal line with outward pointing arrowheads
Word Origin for Müller-Lyer illusion
C19: named after Franz Müller-Lyer (1857–1916), German sociologist and psychiatrist
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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