polarizer

[ poh-luh-rahy-zer ]

noun

1. a person or thing that polarizes.
2. Optics. a device, often a crystal or prism, that polarizes light.

polarizer

/ ˈpəʊləˌraɪzə /

noun

1. a person or a device that causes polarization

Word History and Origins

Origin of polarizer¹

First recorded in 1850–55; polarize + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Using a tripod-mounted camera, shoot a hero shot with a circular polarizer filter turned, so it removes reflections on the side of the vehicle.

From Popular-Science

Unfortunately, that meant I couldn’t turn vertically polarized light into horizontally polarized light with a single polarizer.

From FiveThirtyEight

Now, I had tons of polarizers, and each one also reflected 1 percent of any light that hit it — no matter its polarization or orientation — while polarizing the remaining 99 percent of the light.

From FiveThirtyEight

When light passes through a polarizer, only the light whose polarization aligns with the polarizer passes through.

From FiveThirtyEight

When they aren’t perfectly aligned, only the component of the light that’s in the direction of the polarizer passes through.

From FiveThirtyEight

But the cold, white glare was more intense than he had expected, and he had to shut them again and turn on the polarizer.

From Project Gutenberg

Placing the plate in front of the polarizer, I turn one of the Nicols until the two halves of the plate show a common puce colour.

From Project Gutenberg

First, then, we have a prism which receives the light from the electric lamp, and which is called the polarizer.

From Project Gutenberg

Through this glass the beam from the polarizer now passes, being intercepted by the Nicol in front.

From Project Gutenberg

Introducing a plate of quartz between the polarizer and the spar, the two images glow with complementary colours.

From Project Gutenberg