lenses

Noun

lens (plural lenses or (obsolete) lens or (rare) lentes)

1. An object, usually made of glass, that focuses or defocuses the light that passes through it.
   • Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field.2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist
2. A device which focuses or defocuses other waves or radiation, such as microwave radiation, electron beams, sound waves (acoustic lenses), or explosions (explosive lenses).
3. A convex shape bounded by two circular arcs, joined at their endpoints, the corresponding concave shape being a lune.
4. The transparent crystalline structure in the eye.
   • The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist
5. (earth science) A body of rock, ice, or water shaped like a convex lens.
6. A convex layer of fresh groundwater that floats above the denser saltwater, usually found on small coral or limestone islands and atolls.

   Synonyms:

   freshwater lens, Ghyben-Herzberg lens

See all 13 meanings of lens