optical bench

American  

noun

1. an apparatus, as a special table or rigid beam, for the precise positioning of light sources, screens, and optical instruments used for optical and photometric studies, having a ruled bar to which these devices can be attached and along which they can be readily adjusted.

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optical bench British  

noun

1. an apparatus fitted for experimentation in optics, typically consisting of a table and an adjustable arrangement of light source, lenses, prisms, etc

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Etymology

Origin of optical bench

First recorded in 1880–85