persistence of vision

American  

noun

1. the retention of a visual image for a short period of time after the removal of the stimulus that produced it: the phenomenon that produces the illusion of movement when viewing motion pictures.

---

Etymology

Origin of persistence of vision

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

persistence of vision

To fill the gap, we get alternating snippets of monologues that must be jury-rigged into drama by the audience’s persistence of vision, which the playwright assists by linking them thematically.

From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2021

This persistence of vision is not an optical illusion.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2021

Welles takes on a lot in “The Other Side” — men, women, the decline of Hollywood, the persistence of vision, and the charms, torments and betrayals of close male friendships.

From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2018

Because of the phenomenon of persistence of vision, the beads spinning in the light seem to flash complete circles.

From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2013

Motion-pictures owe their success to this visual property—the persistence of vision.

From Visual Illusions Their Causes, Characteristics and Applications by Matthew Luckiesh