Nicol prism
[nik-uh l]
- one of a pair of prisms used to produce and analyze plane-polarized light in a polarizing microscope.Also called Nic·ol.Compare polarizer(def 1).
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Origin of Nicol prism
1870–75; after William Nicol (1768–1851), British physicist, its inventor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Nicol prism
- a device composed of two prisms of Iceland spar or calcite cut at specified angles and cemented together with Canada balsam. It is used for producing plane-polarized light
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Word Origin
C19: named after William Nicol (?1768–1851), Scottish physicist, its inventor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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