Definition

1. Noun:
   • A transparent optical component with curved surfaces that refracts light: An optical lens is a piece of glass or other transparent material, shaped to converge or diverge light rays, used to form images.
   • Specifically, a lens that focuses an image in an optical instrument: In this precise sense, it refers to the lens within a device like a camera, microscope, or telescope that is responsible for forming a sharp image.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The optical lens in this microscope is of very high quality.
  • A scratch on the camera's optical lens will degrade the photo.
  • The design of the optical lens determines the focal length and magnification.

Advanced Usage

• "Corrective optical lens": A lens ground to a specific prescription to correct vision, such as in eyeglasses or contact lenses.

  • His new glasses contain a sophisticated corrective optical lens for astigmatism.

• "Compound optical lens": A lens system made by combining multiple simple lenses to correct optical aberrations.

  • Modern camera objectives use a compound optical lens for sharper images.

Variants and Related Words

• Lens (n): The more general term for any piece of transparent material with curved surfaces for focusing or dispersing light. "Optical lens" is a specific type of lens.
• Objective lens (n): The primary light-gathering lens in an optical instrument like a telescope or microscope.
• Eyepiece lens (n): The lens or group of lenses in an optical instrument through which the viewer looks.

Synonyms

• Lens element: A single piece of glass or material within a compound lens system.
• Optical element: A broader term for any component (lens, prism, mirror) that manipulates light in an optical system.

Related Phrases

• Lens assembly (n): A group of lenses mounted together within a device.

  • The entire lens assembly was replaced to fix the focusing issue.

• Lens barrel (n): The cylindrical housing that holds an optical lens or lens assembly.

  • He carefully cleaned the interior of the lens barrel.

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms that use the specific technical term "optical lens." Idioms typically use the simpler word "lens.")

Noun

1. a lens that focuses the image in a camera