• Optics

    Origin

    Full definition of optics

    Noun

    optics

    (uncountable)
    1. (physics) The physics of light and vision.
    2. The light-related aspects of a device.
      The optics of this telescope are particularly good.
      • 2013, Henry Petroski, The Evolution of Eyeglasses, 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,....
    3. (figuratively) Perception, image, public relations.
      • 2007 January 1, Mark Steyn, "Blowing a 'hinge moment' of history", in The Jerusalem Post:... 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.
    4. Plural of optic

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