Prism Definition
prĭzəm
prisms
noun
prisms
A solid figure whose ends are parallel, polygonal, and equal in size and shape, and whose sides are parallelograms.
Webster's New World
A crystalline body whose lateral faces meet at edges that are parallel to each other.
Webster's New World
Anything that refracts light, as a drop of water.
Webster's New World
A cut-glass object, such as a pendant of a chandelier.
American Heritage
A transparent body, as of glass, whose ends are equal and parallel triangles, and whose three sides are parallelograms: used for refracting or dispersing light, as into the spectrum.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- optical prism
- stone
- spectrum
- figure
- gem
- cylinder
- crystal
- spectrometer
- spectroscope
- kaleidoscope
- optical-instrument
- pebble
Other Word Forms of Prism
Noun
Singular:
prismPlural:
prismsOrigin of Prism
Late Latin prīsma from Greek prīsma thing sawed off, prism from prīzein to saw variant of prīein
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Late Latin prisma, from Ancient Greek πρίσμα (prisma, “something sawed"), from πρίζειν (prizein, “to saw").
From Wiktionary
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