principal axis
Americannoun
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Optics. a line passing through the center of the surface of a lens or spherical mirror and through the centers of curvature of all segments of the lens or mirror.
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Physics. one of three mutually perpendicular axes of a body about which the moment of inertia is maximum or minimum.
noun
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the line passing through the optical centre and centres of curvature of the faces of a lens or a curved mirror
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any of three mutually perpendicular axes about which the moment of inertia of a body is maximum
Etymology
Origin of principal axis
First recorded in 1875–80
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.
The ends of the prism are perpendicular to its length; the section carried through it is in a plane perpendicular to the principal axis of the crystal.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 441, June 14, 1884. by Various
The directrix is at right angles to the principal axis.
From An Elementary Course in Synthetic Projective Geometry by Lehmer, Derrick Norman
In crystals of this division of the hexagonal system the principal axis is a hexad axis of symmetry.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various
To determine this ratio we consider its value for a vertex on the principal axis.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various
The phenomenon was first observed in crystals of tourmaline, the principal axis of which is a uniterminal triad axis of symmetry.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
