English Reference

Word

laser

US/ˈɫeɪzɝ/

UK/lˈeɪzɐ/

Definitions

01light device or beam

B1 · Science

n. a device that produces a narrow, powerful beam of light, or the beam itself.

n. a device that emits a coherent, monochromatic beam of light; also refers to the beam of radiation produced by such a device.

“The doctor used a laser to perform the delicate eye surgery.”

“The laboratory technicians calibrated the laser to ensure the beam remained perfectly focused during the high-precision cutting process.”

Synonyms

02sailing boat

C1 · Sport

n. a small, light boat used for racing by one person.

n. a specific class of small, one-design sailing dinghy typically used for competitive racing.

“He spent the weekend racing his Laser on the lake.”

“The regatta featured a large fleet of Lasers, requiring the sailors to demonstrate exceptional tactical skill in the light winds.”

Technical

Synonyms

03to treat or cut

B2 · Medicine

v. to use a laser to cut something or to treat a part of the body.

v. to target, cut, or medically treat an object or tissue using a laser beam.

“She decided to have her tattoo lasered off next month.”

“The surgeon lasered the damaged tissue with extreme care to avoid affecting the surrounding healthy cells.”

Synonyms

04to throw with precision

C2 · Sport

v. to throw or kick a ball very straight and fast.

v. to propel a ball or projectile with exceptional speed and accuracy, resembling the straight path of a light beam.

“The quarterback lasered the ball to the receiver for a touchdown.”

“The outfielder lasered a throw to home plate, catching the runner just before he could score.”

Informal · Slang

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“LiDAR is an advanced 3D scanning method that sends laser pulses from an aircraft toward the landscape below.”
ScienceDaily · 4 Aug 2026
“When the molecule absorbs energy from a brief ultraviolet laser pulse, its electrons enter a higher energy state.”
ScienceDaily · 30 Jul 2026
“They used airborne lidar, which measures forest structure with laser pulses, along with high-resolution PlanetScope satellite images.”
ScienceDaily · 26 Jul 2026
“All that data would need to be sent between Earth and these data centers – and between the data centers themselves – using radio waves or laser communications systems.”
ScienceDaily · 19 Jun 2026

Collocations

laser pulseslaser pulse

Domains

AviationEngineeringMedicineNauticalSports

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/laser

English Reference