paraxial

American

[par-ak-see-uhl] / pærˈæk si əl /

adjective

Optics.

making a small angle with and lying close to the axis of an optical system.

paraxial ray.

paraxial British

/ pæˈræksɪəl /

adjective

physics (of a light ray) parallel to the axis of an optical system

"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

Etymology

Origin of paraxial

First recorded in 1860–65; par- + axial

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023