optical fiber

American  

noun

1. a very thin, flexible glass or plastic strand along which large quantities of information can be transmitted in the form of light pulses: used in telecommunications, medicine, and other fields.

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optical fiber Scientific  

1. A flexible transparent fiber of extremely pure glass or plastic, generally between 10 and 200 micrometers in diameter, used especially to carry light signals for telecommunication purposes.

2. See more at fiber optics

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Etymology

Origin of optical fiber

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

optical fiber

But now, the optical fiber that forms the basis of telecom networks is being used for a different purpose: connectivity inside and between data centers, hundreds of miles apart.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

Caltech researchers have found a way to move light across silicon wafers with exceptionally little signal loss, reaching levels at visible wavelengths that approach those of optical fiber.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

Corning has been betting that the massive infrastructure demands of AI will drive its next wave of growth, relying on its specialized optical fiber to link hyperscale data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

But he knows that as long as they need Corning’s optical fiber and silicon photonics, he shouldn’t be the one betting the family farm on their ambitions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

One day, however, your telephone, TV, fax machine and personal computer will be replaced by a single ``information processor'' linked to the worldwide Net by strands of optical fiber.

From Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet by Electronic Frontier Foundation