Light rays converge when passing through a biconvex lens (top) and diverge when passing through a biconcave lens (bottom).f indicates the focus.
lens
(lĕnz)n. pl. lens·es
1. A ground or molded piece of glass, plastic, or other transparent material with opposite surfaces either or both of which are curved, by means of which light rays are refracted so that they converge or diverge to form an image.
2. A combination of two or more such pieces, sometimes with other optical devices such as prisms, used to form an image for viewing or photographing. Also called compound lens.
3. A thin piece of glass or plastic, as on a pair of sunglasses, that transmits light without refraction.
4. A device or phenomenon (such as a gravitational field) that causes light or other radiation to converge or diverge by an action analogous to that of a lens.
5.
a. A transparent, biconvex structure in the eye of a vertebrate or cephalopod that is located between the iris and the vitreous humor and focuses light rays entering through the pupil to form an image on the retina.
b. A similar structure in many invertebrates.
tr.v. lensed, lens·ing, lens·es
1. Informal To make a photograph or movie of.
2. To bend or distort (light, for example) by means of a lens, especially a gravitational field.
[New Latin lēns, from Latin, lentil (from the shape of a double convex lens).]
lensed adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lens
(lɛnz)n
1. (General Physics) a piece of glass or other transparent material, used to converge or diverge transmitted light and form optical images
2. (General Physics) Also called: compound lens a combination of such lenses for forming images or concentrating a beam of light
3. (General Physics) a device that diverges or converges a beam of electromagnetic radiation, sound, or particles. See electron lens
4. (Anatomy) anatomy See crystalline lens
[C17: from Latin lēns lentil, referring to the similarity of a lens to the shape of a lentil]
Lens
(lenz; French lɑ̃s)n
(Placename) an industrial town in N France, in the Pas de Calais department; badly damaged in both World Wars. Pop: 36 257 (2006)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
lens
(lɛnz)n., pl. lens•es.
1. a piece of transparent substance, usu. glass, having two opposite surfaces either both curved or one curved and one plane, used in optical devices for changing the convergence of light rays, as for magnification, or in correcting defects of vision.
2. a combination of such pieces.
3. some analogous device, as for affecting sound waves, electromagnetic radiation, or streams of electrons.
4. a doubly convex, transparent body in the eye, behind the pupil, that focuses incident light on the retina.
5. a body of rock or ore that is thick in the middle and thinner toward the edges, similar in shape to a biconvex lens.
[1685–95; < New Latin; Latin lēns a lentil (a lens so called from its shape); compare lentil]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
lens
(lĕnz)1. A transparent structure behind the iris of the eye that focuses light entering the eye on the retina.
2.
a. A piece of glass or plastic shaped so as to focus or spread parallel light rays that pass through it to form an image.
b. A combination of two or more such lenses used to form an image, as in a camera or telescope. Also called compound lens.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lens
- From Latin for "lentil," because of the similarity in shape.See also related terms for similarity.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
lens
1. A device causing light rays or subatomic particles to converge or diverge as they pass through it.
2. A biconvex transparent structure behind the iris. It bends light rays entering the eye and so helps to focus them on the retina.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  lens - a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form imagesanastigmat - compound lens or lens system designed to be free of astigmatism and able to form approximately point images anastigmatic lens - a lens designed to correct astigmatism camera lens, optical lens - a lens that focuses the image in a camera compound lens - a lens system consisting of two or more lenses on the same axis optical condenser, condenser - lens used to concentrate light on an object contact lens, contact - a thin curved glass or plastic lens designed to fit over the cornea in order to correct vision or to deliver medication converging lens, convex lens - lens such that a beam of light passing through it is brought to a point or focus crown lens - a lens made of optical crown glass concave lens, diverging lens - a lens such that a parallel beam of light passing through it is caused to diverge or spread out field lens - the lens that is farthest from the eye in an optical device with more than one lens Fresnel lens - lens composed of a number of small lenses arranged to make a lightweight lens of large diameter and short focal length intraocular lens - an artificial lens that is implanted into the eye of someone to replace a damaged natural lens or someone who has had a cataract removed meniscus - (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other eyeglass, monocle - lens for correcting defective vision in one eye; held in place by facial muscles object glass, object lens, objective lens, objective - the lens or system of lenses in a telescope or microscope that is nearest the object being viewed optical device - a device for producing or controlling light optical instrument - an instrument designed to aid vision |
| 2. | Lens - genus of small erect or climbing herbs with pinnate leaves and small inconspicuous white flowers and small flattened pods: lentils rosid dicot genus - a genus of dicotyledonous plants Papilionoideae, subfamily Papilionoideae - alternative name used in some classification systems for the family Papilionaceae | |
| 3. | lens - (metaphor) a channel through which something can be seen or understood; "the writer is the lens through which history can be seen" communication channel, channel, line - (often plural) a means of communication or access; "it must go through official channels"; "lines of communication were set up between the two firms" | |
| 4. |  lens - biconvex transparent body situated behind the iris in the eye; its role (along with the cornea) is to focuses light on the retinaorgan - a fully differentiated structural and functional unit in an animal that is specialized for some particular function lens cortex, cortex - the tissue that surrounds the lens nucleus lens capsule - a tenuous mesoblastic membrane surrounding the lens of the eye | |
| 5. |  lens - electronic equipment that uses a magnetic or electric field in order to focus a beam of electronselectronic equipment - equipment that involves the controlled conduction of electrons (especially in a gas or vacuum or semiconductor) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
lens
nounRelated words
adjective lenticular
adjective lenticular
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
عَدَسَةٌعَدَسَة العَيْنعَدَسَه
čočkasklo
linseobjektivglas
linssimykiöpoikkeutuskela
leća
lencse
augasteinnlinsa
レンズ
렌즈
lęšislęšiukas
lēcaobjektīvs
šošovka
leča
lins
เลนส์ตา
ống kính
lens
[lenz]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
lens
[ˈlɛnz] n [magnifying glass, telescope] → lentille f; [spectacles] → verre m; [camera] → objectif m (also contact lens) → lentille flens cap n → bouchon m d'objectiflens hood n [camera] → pare-soleil m invCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
lens
n (Anat, Opt, Phot) → Linse f; (in spectacles) → Glas nt; (= camera part containing lens) → Objektiv nt; (= eyeglass) → Klemmlupe f; (for stamps etc) → Vergrößerungsglas nt, → Lupe f
lens
:lens cap
n → Schutzkappe f
lens hood
n → Sonnenblende f, → Gegenlichtblende f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
lens
(lenz) noun1. a piece of glass etc curved on one or both sides and used in spectacles, microscopes, cameras etc. I need new lenses in my spectacles; The camera lens is dirty.
2. a similar part of the eye. The disease has affected the lens of his left eye.
lens is singular; the plural is lenses.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
lens
→ عَدَسَةٌ čočka linse Linse φακός lente linssi lentille leća lente レンズ 렌즈 lens linse soczewka lente линза lins เลนส์ตา lens ống kính 镜头Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
lens
1. n. lente;
achromatic ___ → ___ acromático;
adherent ___ → ___ adherido;
biconcave ___ → ___ bicóncavo;
biconvex ___ → ___ biconvexo;
bifocal ___ → ___ bifocal;
contact ___ → ___ de contacto, lentillas;
dislocation of ___ → dislocación del ___;
___ implantation, intraocular → ___ -s intraoculares;
trifocal ___ → ___ -s trifocales
2. cristalino, lente transparente del ojo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
lens
n lente m&f; (of the eye) cristalino; bifocal — lente bifocal; (hard, soft) contact — lente de contacto (rígido, blando); progressive — lente progresivo; trifocal — lente trifocalEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.