Nicol prism Hear it!

Nicol prism definition

Nicol prism (nik′əl)

noun

a prism consisting of two crystals of clear calcite cemented together, used for obtaining polarized light

Etymology: after Wm. Nicol (1768?-1851), Brit physicist, who invented it (1828)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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