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optical fiber

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR optical fiber ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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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RELATED WORDS

catoptrics, dioptrics

Nearby words

  1. optical density,
  2. optical disc,
  3. optical disk,
  4. optical double star,
  5. optical effects,
  6. optical fibre,
  7. optical flint,
  8. optical glass,
  9. optical illusion,
  10. optical image
Compare fiber optics, waveguide.

Origin of optical fiber

First recorded in 1960–65
Also called light guide.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Science definitions for optical fiber

optical fiber

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. See more at fiber optics.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.