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pencil beam

American  

noun

  1. a cone-shaped radar beam.


Etymology

Origin of pencil beam

First recorded in 1945–50


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"At this critical power, the nonlinearity can counter the intrinsic disorder, creating a balance that transforms the input beam into a self-organized pencil beam," Cao explains.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 28, 2026

Tests showed that this pencil beam is both stable and highly detailed compared to similar beams.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 28, 2026

Under specific conditions, what normally looks like a scattered and disordered laser signal can reorganize itself into a narrow, highly focused "pencil beam."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 28, 2026

A few of those waves escape through the silver of one mirror, which is not quite thick enough to be totally opaque, and form the pencil beam of red maser light. 25-Mile Beam.

From Time Magazine Archive

“And this light,” he said, adjusting the angle of the pencil beam, “and that’s it.”

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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