distortion
n.-
1 physical shape (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea change in the shape of something that makes it look strange or unnatural.
a change in the physical shape, appearance, or proportions of an object or image.
ExampleThe heat from the fire caused a strange distortion in the glass window.
ExampleWide-angle lenses often produce a noticeable distortion at the edges of the frame, making straight lines appear curved.
- deformation
- contortion
- warp
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2 audio/sound (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Musican unpleasant change in a sound, often making it fuzzy or unclear.
an unwanted change in an audio signal during amplification or recording, resulting in a fuzzy or harsh sound quality.
ExampleThe cheap speakers produced a lot of distortion when the volume was turned up.
ExampleHeavy metal guitarists intentionally use distortion pedals to create a thick, aggressive sound that defines the genre.
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3 optical aberration (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Sciencea problem with a lens that makes an image look blurry or stretched.
an aberration in an optical system that causes magnification to vary across the field of view.
ExampleThe scientist adjusted the microscope to fix the distortion in the image.
ExampleThe telescope's primary mirror required precise calibration to eliminate the spherical distortion that was blurring distant star clusters.
Borrowed from Latin distortio, distortionis, from distortus.