noun
lens
LENZ/lenz/
A transparent curved component that changes how light forms an image.
The curved lens focuses the light onto a small white card.
Etymology
Latin lens meant “lentil.” The optical object was named for its resemblance to a lentil seed, whose two convex faces suggested the shape of a double-convex lens.
In context
to take a picture, a shutter opens for a fraction of a second to let light rays from a scene in through the lens.
More examples
- She wipes dust off the camera lens.
- The lenses in his glasses help him read small print.
- This lens spreads the incoming light instead of concentrating it.
Forms
lens · lenses
Similar words
- eyepiece
- Specifically the lens or lens assembly you look through.
- magnifier
- Enlarges details, while a lens can serve other optical purposes.