prismatic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or like a prism.
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formed by or as if by a transparent prism.
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spectral in color; brilliant.
prismatic colors.
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highly varied or faceted.
a prismatic existence.
adjective
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concerned with, containing, or produced by a prism
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exhibiting bright spectral colours
prismatic light
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crystallog another word for orthorhombic
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Relating to or resembling a prism.
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Formed by refraction of light through a prism, used especially of a spectrum of light.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prismatic
Explanation
Something that's prismatic reflects or resembles the multiple colors of the rainbow. The prismatic hues on the surface of the water brightened the gloomy day. You can use this adjective to describe something that looks like a geometrical prism, a three-dimensional shape with two parallel bases and sides which are all parallelograms. The tent you use when you go camping is prismatic in shape, for example. Prismatic also means "reflecting light the way a prism does," so you can describe the prismatic light that shines through ancient stained glass windows in a church.
Vocabulary lists containing prismatic
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.
Prismatic batteries, which are rectangular in shape, have become the most common form of auto battery in the past two years as they can be more densely packed, saving on costs.
From Reuters • Aug. 17, 2022
That hike also offers the best views of the Grand Prismatic Spring, the otherworldly hot spring that is among the park’s biggest draws.
From Washington Post • Jul. 2, 2020
The Grand Prismatic Spring, often called simply the rainbow hot spring, really is rainbow-colored.
From National Geographic • Dec. 4, 2017
That’s why news-focused apps and websites like Flipboard, Digg, Prismatic, and Facebook’s Paper have failed to catch on with the masses in the way that Facebook and Twitter have.
From Slate • Nov. 30, 2017
Throughout the swiftly passing day, Paula realized that she would go to Prismatic Hall in West Sixty-seventh Street, where Dr. Bellingham was to organize his lecture-course that night.
From She Buildeth Her House by Comfort, William Wistar
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.
