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optics
[ op-tiks ]
/ ˈɒp tɪks /
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noun
(used with a singular verb) the branch of physical science that deals with the properties and phenomena of both visible and invisible light and with vision.
(used with a plural verb) the way a situation, action, event, etc., is perceived by the public or by a particular group of people: The optics on this issue are pretty good for the Democrats.Administrators worry about the bad optics of hiring new staff during a budget crisis.
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ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Words nearby optics
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use optics in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for optics
optics
/ (ˈɒptɪks) /
noun
(functioning as singular) the branch of science concerned with vision and the generation, nature, propagation, and behaviour of electromagnetic light
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
Medical definitions for optics
optics
[ ŏp′tĭks ]
n.
The science concerned with the properties of light, its refraction and absorption, and the refracting media of the eye.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for optics
optics
[ ŏp′tĭks ]
The scientific study of light and vision. The study of optics led to the development of more general theories of electromagnetic radiation and theories of color.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for optics
optics
The branch of physics dealing with light. (See electromagnetic waves, laser, lens, reflection, and refraction.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.