Lens
LENZ
/lɛnz/
A curved piece of glass or plastic used to refract light in optical instruments or corrective eyewear, or the natural light-focusing structure inside the eye.
Refers to both manufactured optical glass in spectacles and the biological crystalline lens behind the iris.
The story behind the word. In Latin, 'lens' literally meant 'lentil' (the edible seed). When double-convex glass pieces were shaped in the 17th century, early scientists noted their physical resemblance to lentil seeds and named them accordingly!
Word relationships
- optic: A technical term for an optical element or lens system.
Commonly confused with
- Lense: Lense is a misspelling; the correct singular spelling is lens.
Word family
- lenses (noun): Plural form of lens.
- lensed (adjective): Fitted with or provided with a lens.
Collocations
- contact lens
- corrective lens
- crystalline lens
Example sentences
- "The optometrist polished the plastic lens carefully to remove any minor surface imperfections." Optical physics
Memory hook
LENS looks like a LENTIL seed! Light-focusing optic.
When not to use
Note that 'lens' is singular (plural is 'lenses'); do not write 'a lense'.
Fun facts
- The word lens comes directly from the Latin word for lentil bean due to its curved double-convex shape.
Related words
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