noun
prism
PRIZ-um/ˈprɪzəm/
A solid with matching polygonal ends connected by flat faces.
The glass prism has matching triangular ends joined by flat faces.
Etymology
Greek prisma meant “something sawed”; its geometric use apparently pictured a column with its sides sawn off. The name then extended to transparent solids of that shape used to bend and separate light.
In context
notice that the light Ray bends at two different points one when the light is entering the prism and another when it leaves the prism the the question is why is the light being dispersed into the rainbow colors
More examples
- A triangular prism has two triangular ends and three other faces.
- We build a hexagonal prism from folded cardboard.
- The students sort the wooden prisms by the shapes of their ends.
Forms
prism · prisms
prismatic adjective — Having the shape of a prism.
Similar words
- polyhedron
- Any solid with flat polygonal faces, not necessarily matching ends.
- cuboid
- A specific kind of prism with six rectangular faces.