How Do You Spell LENS?

Pronunciation: [lˈɛnz] (IPA)

The word "lens" is spelled with four letters and pronounced as /lɛnz/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first sound, /l/, is a voiced alveolar lateral consonant made by touching the tongue to the alveolar ridge while leaving space for air to flow around the sides. The second sound, /ɛ/, is an open-mid front unrounded vowel pronounced with an open mouth and the tongue in the middle-front part of the mouth. The final sound, /nz/, is a cluster of a voiced alveolar nasal consonant followed by a voiced alveolar fricative consonant.

LENS Meaning and Definition

  1. A lens is an optical device which is typically made of transparent material, such as glass or plastic, with curved surfaces that refract and focus light to form an image. It is a fundamental component used in various optical systems to manipulate and control the path of light, enabling the formation of clear and magnified images.

    Lenses are classified based on their shape and purpose. Convex lenses are thicker at the center and thinner at the edges, causing light rays passing through to converge at a specific point, forming real or virtual images. They are commonly used to correct farsightedness and to magnify objects, as in cameras and binoculars. Concave lenses, on the other hand, are thinner at the center and thicker at the edges, resulting in light rays diverging. They are used to correct nearsightedness and can be found in eyeglasses.

    In addition to shaping and focusing light, lenses can also alter the properties of light such as its direction, speed, and intensity. They are extensively employed in applications such as microscopes, telescopes, projectors, and various optical instruments used in scientific research, photography, medicine, and telecommunications.

    Overall, lenses are essential tools in the field of optics, harnessing the physics of light to provide clearer vision, aid in scientific discoveries, and improve the quality of visual devices.

  2. A piece of glass, quartz, or other transparent substance with one or both surfaces curved, either concave or convex; used for acting upon the rays of light in the way of convergence or dispersal.

    A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

  3. In optical instruments, a piece of glass of a convex, concave, or other shape, for changing the direction of rays of light, and thus magnifying or diminishing objects.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for LENS *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for LENS

Etymology of LENS

The word "lens" stems from the Latin word "lentilis", which means "lentil" due to the resemblance of a lentil bean's shape to a biconvex lens. In Latin, lentilis was used to describe the shape of various lens-like objects, and over time, the term "lens" came to refer specifically to the optical instrument.

Idioms with the word LENS

  • Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens is an optical lens that is composed of several concentric rings or grooves on its surface, which help to reduce the overall weight and thickness of the lens while maintaining its optical properties. This type of lens is commonly used in lighthouses, projectors, and other optical devices to focus or concentrate light.
  • Fres·nel lens A Fresnel lens is a type of lens that consists of a series of concentric rings or grooves on its surface, allowing it to be much thinner and lighter than a traditional lens. These lenses are commonly used in lighthouses, projectors, and other optical devices to focus or diffuse light.

Similar spelling words for LENS

Plural form of LENS is LENSES

Infographic

Add the infographic to your website: