optical fiber
- 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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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. 2018
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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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