prism

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

prism, n. [L. prisma, Gr. pri`sma, fr. pri`zein, pri`ein, to saw: cf. F. prisme.].

•  A solid whose bases or ends are any similar, equal, and parallel plane figures, and whose sides are parallelograms.  [1913 Webster]

  " Prisms of different forms are often named from the figure of their bases; as, a triangular prism, a quadrangular prism, a rhombic prism, etc."  [1913 Webster]
•  A transparent body, with usually three rectangular plane faces or sides, and two equal and parallel triangular ends or bases; -- used in experiments on refraction, dispersion, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  A form the planes of which are parallel to the vertical axis. See Form, n., 13.  [1913 Webster]

Achromatic prism (Opt.), a prism composed usually of two prisms of different transparent substances which have unequal dispersive powers, as two different kinds of glass, especially flint glass and crown glass, the difference of dispersive power being compensated by giving them different refracting angles, so that, when placed together so as to have opposite relative positions, a ray of light passed through them is refracted or bent into a new position, but is free from color. -- Nicol's prism, Nicol prism. [So called from Wm. Nicol, of Edinburgh, who first proposed it.] (Opt.) An instrument for experiments in polarization, consisting of a rhomb of Iceland spar, which has been bisected obliquely at a certain angle, and the two parts again joined with transparent cement, so that the ordinary image produced by double refraction is thrown out of the field by total reflection from the internal cemented surface, and the extraordinary, or polarized, image alone is transmitted.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prism, n.
1 a solid geometric figure whose two ends are similar, equal, and parallel rectilinear figures, and whose sides are parallelograms.
2 a transparent body in this form, usu. triangular with refracting surfaces at an acute angle with each other, which separates white light into a spectrum of colours.

Derivative

prismal adj.

Etymology

LL prisma f. Gk prisma prismatos thing sawn f. prizo to saw

THESAURUS

prism

achromatic lens, astigmatic lens, burning glass, camera, coated lens, concave lens, concavo-convex lens, condenser, convex lens, eyeglass, eyepiece, glass, hand lens, lens, magnifier, magnifying glass, meniscus, object glass, objective, objective prism, ocular, reader, reading glass, telephoto lens, toric lens, varifocal lens, zoom lens

ROGET THESAURUS

prism

Angularity

N angularity, angularness, aduncity, angle, cusp, bend, fold, notch, fork, bifurcation, elbow, knee, knuckle, ankle, groin, crotch, crutch, crane, fluke, scythe, sickle, zigzag, kimbo, akimbo, corner, nook, recess, niche, oriel, coign, right angle, obliquity, angle of 45 degrees, miter, acute angle, obtuse angle, salient angle, reentering angle, spherical angle, angular measurement, angular elevation, angular distance, angular velocity, trigonometry, goniometry, altimetry, clinometer, graphometer, goniometer, theodolite, sextant, quadrant, dichotomy, triangle, trigon, wedge, rectangle, square, lozenge, diamond, rhomb, rhombus, quadrangle, quadrilateral, parallelogram, quadrature, polygon, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, oxygon, decagon, pyramid, cone, Platonic bodies, cube, rhomboid, tetrahedron, pentahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, eicosahedron, prism, pyramid, parallelopiped, curb roof, gambrel roof, mansard roof, angular, bent, crooked, aduncous, uncinated, aquiline, jagged, serrated, falciform, falcated, furcated, forked, bifurcate, zigzag, furcular, hooked, dovetailed, knock kneed, crinkled, akimbo, kimbo, geniculated, oblique, fusiform, wedge-shaped, cuneiform, cuneate, multangular, oxygonal, triangular, trigonal, trilateral, quadrangular, quadrilateral, foursquare, rectangular, square, multilateral, polygonal, cubical, rhomboid, rhomboidal, pyramidal.

Color

N color, hue, tint, tinge, dye, complexion, shade, tincture, cast, livery, coloration, glow, flush, tone, key, pure color, positive color, primary color, primitive complementary color, three primaries, spectrum, chromatic dispersion, broken color, secondary color, tertiary color, local color, coloring, keeping, tone, value, aerial perspective, chromatics, spectrum analysis, spectroscopy, chromatism, chromatography, chromatology, prism, spectroscope, spectrograph, spectrometer, colorimeter (optical instruments), pigment, coloring matter, paint, dye, wash, distemper, stain, medium, mordant, oil paint, colored, colorific, tingent, tinctorial, chromatic, prismatic, full-colored, high-colored, deep-colored, doubly-dyed, polychromatic, chromatogenous, tingible, bright, vivid, intense, deep, fresh, unfaded, rich, gorgeous, gay, gaudy, florid, gay, garish, rainbow-colored, multihued, showy, flaunting, flashy, raw, crude, glaring, flaring, discordant, inharmonious, mellow, pastel, harmonious, pearly, sweet, delicate, tender, refined.

Optical Instruments

N optical instruments, lens, meniscus, magnifier, sunglass, magnifying glass, hand lens, microscope, megascope, tienoscope, spectacles, specs, glasses, barnacles, goggles, eyeglass, pince-nez, monocle, reading glasses, bifocals, contact lenses, soft lenses, hard lenses, sunglasses, shades, periscopic lens, telescope, glass, lorgnette, spyglass, opera glass, binocular, binoculars, field glass, burning glass, convex lens, concave lens, convexo-concave lens, coated lens, multiple lens, compound lens, lens system, telephoto lens, wide-angle lens, fish-eye lens, zoom lens, optical bench, astronomical telescope, reflecting telescope, reflector, refracting telescope, refractor, Newtonian telescope, folded-path telescope, finder telescope, chromatoscope, X-ray telescope, radiotelescope, phased-array telescope, Very Large Array radiotelescope, ultraviolet telescope, infrared telescope, star spectroscope, space telescope, altazimuth mount, equatorial mount, refractometer, circular dichroism spectrometer, interferometer, phase-contrast microscope, fluorescence microscope, dissecting microscope, electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, SEM, scanning tunneling electron microscope, objective lens, eyepiece, barrel, platform, focusing knob, slide, slide glass, cover glass, counting chamber, illuminator, light source, polarizer, reticle, cross-hairs, light pipe, fiber optics mirror, reflector, speculum, looking- glass, pier-glass, cheval-glass, rear-view mirror, hand mirror, one-way mirror, magnifying mirror, fun house, prism, diffraction grating, beam splitter, half-wave plate, quarter-wave plate, camera lucida, camera obscura, magic lantern, stereopticon, chromatrope, thaumatrope, stereoscope, pseudoscope, polyscope, kaleidoscope, photometer, eriometer, actinometer, lucimeter, radiometer, ligth detector, photodiode, photomultiplier, photodiode array, photocell, X-ray diffractometer, goniometer, spectrometer, monochrometer, UV spectrometer, visible spectrometer, Infrared spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, recording spectrometer, densitometer, scanning densitometer, two-dimensional densitometer, abdominoscope, gastroscope, helioscope, polariscope, polemoscope, spectroscope, abdominoscopy, gastroscopy, microscopy, microscopist.