optic
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optic
- /ˈɒp.tɪk/ UK
- /ˈɑp.tɪk/ Atlantic Canada, US
- /ˈɒp.tɪk/ Canada
- /ˈɔp.tɪk/ Australia
- [ˈɔ̟p.tək] New Zealand
Rhymes with -ɒptɪk
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Middle French optique or Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτῐκός (optĭkós, “of or for sight”), from ὀπτός (optós, “visible”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, “-ic”, adjectival suffix).
adjective optick · optique
- Of, or relating to the eye or to vision. The moon, whose orb / Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views.
- Of, or relating to optics or optical instruments.
noun optics · optick · optique
- An eye. The difference is as great between / The optics seeing, as the object seen.
- A lens or other part of an optical instrument that interacts with light. The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.
- A measuring device with a small window, attached to an upside-down bottle, used to dispense alcoholic drinks in a bar. They were neatly lined up on three shelves between the optics of martini, vodka, whisky and gin.
