Nicol prism
[ nik-uh l ]
/ ˈnɪk əl /
noun Optics.
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).
RELATED CONTENT
Why Privacy Is Our 2013 Word Of The YearFrom PRISM and the Edward Snowden scandal to the arrival of Google Glass, 2013 was the year that the desire to be seen and heard was turned on its head. Consider the following: In January, the TSA scrapped airport body scanners that produce near-naked images of travelers; In June, Edward Snowden revealed the widespread global-spying program, Project PRISM; In October, Google announced new privacy policy …
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. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for nicol prism
Nicol prism
/ (ˈnɪkəl) /
noun
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
Word Origin for Nicol prism
C19: named after William Nicol (?1768–1851), Scottish physicist, its inventor
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