First recorded in 1935–40; named after Augustin Jean Fresnel
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But originally, he designed them for lighthouses — it’s the invention that’s said to have saved a million ships — and today, Lego has announced a motorized lighthouse with its very own fresnel lens.
From The Verge ● Aug. 18, 2022
For fire starters he uses a fresnel lens, wax-coated matches.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 2, 2017
Before the 11 a.m. boat ride back to the mainland, Dre Elmore likes to show off the retired Fresnel lens and the array of still-working machinery in the fog signal building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
The first such lenses were invented by the French scientist Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1819 to provide lightweight lenses for lighthouses.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2023
In 1822, Augustin Fresnel invented a lens made of ringed prisms that could concentrate beams of light more effectively than reflectors or huge convex pieces of glass.
From The Verge ● Aug. 18, 2022
When a large “A” was displayed on the wall and I removed the Fresnel lens on my glasses, I saw two A’s.
From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2022
We're casting some of those Fresnel lanterns to-day.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 83, September, 1864 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.
