optics
nounUK /ˈɒptɪks/ · US /ˈɑptɪks/
Etymology From Medieval Latin opticus (“optic, optical”), from Ancient Greek ὀπτικός (optikós), equivalent to optic + -ics.
1
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics The physics of light and vision: basic optical science.
- a PhD in the optics of liquid crystals
2
Technology that makes use of such physics: applied optical science; business lines making use of such technology.
- defense R&D investments in both optics and electronics
3
The light-related aspects of a device.
- the optics of liquid crystals under certain laboratory conditions
- The optics of this telescope are particularly good.
1 more example
- Digging deeper, the invention of eyeglasses is an elaboration of the more fundamental development of optics technology. The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,[…].2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:
4
Figuratively Perception, image, public relations, especially in politics.
- Near-synonyms: appearances, spectacle, theatrics; choreography
- His policy prescription was sound, but the optics were horrible.
4 more examples
- […] I'd be interested to know whether US authorities proffered any "advice" on the optics: Ixnay on the torture dungeon, […]; if you have to have victims' loved ones present, go for the widows and photogenic orphans rather than Moqtada's boys.2007 January 1, Mark Steyn, “Blowing a 'hinge moment' of history”, in The Jerusalem Post:
- When President Obama responded to the failed Christmas airliner bombing while on vacation in his native state of Hawaii, some Republicans claimed it was “bad optics.” “Hawaii to many Americans seems like a foreign place,” the Republican strategist Kevin Madden told CNN.2010 March 4, Ben Zimmer, “Optics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 12 Jul 2019:
- "There's also a gentle nod to the Vatican and Italy, which shows the Pope is not above playing a little optics - I'm sure he and the CEO of Fiat have met."2015 September 28, Vanessa Barford, quoting Dan Neil, “Pope Francis and the little black car”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2023:
- “The optics weren’t good. Next time tell them not to bring guns”2021 February 9, David D. Kirkpatrick, Mike McIntire, quoting Mike Shirkey, “‘Its Own Domestic Army’: How the G.O.P. Allied Itself With Militants”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Mar 2021:
- Derived terms
- acoustooptics, adaptive optics, biooptics, conformal optics, electrooptics, fiber optics, fiber-optics, fibre-optics, fibre optics, folded optics, heteroptics, magnetooptics, nanooptics, neutron optics, orthoptics, spinoptics