photoelasticity

[foh-toh-i-la-stis-i-tee, -ee-la-stis-]

noun Physics.

the phenomenon of double refraction of polarized light by a transparent substance under elastic stress, used to measure strain in elastic, transparent materials.

Origin of photoelasticity

First recorded in 1910–15; photo- + elasticity

Related formspho·to·e·las·tic

[foh-toh-i-las-tik] /ˌfoʊ toʊ ɪˈlæs tɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for photoelasticity

photoelasticity

noun

the effects of stress, such as double refraction, on the optical properties of transparent materials

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