optical
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the sense of sight or the way you see things.
adj.pertaining to the biological or psychological process of vision.
Simple“An optical illusion can make a flat drawing look like it has depth.”
In context“The brain processes optical signals from the eyes to create a coherent map of the physical environment.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.using light or lenses to help you see or to record information.
adj.utilising light-sensitive components or lenses to enhance vision or transmit data.
Simple“The telescope uses high-quality optical glass to see distant stars.”
In context“Optical fibre cables allow for much faster data transmission than traditional copper wires by using pulses of light.”
Synonymsphotonic - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a special effect in a film made by changing the film itself in a lab.
n.a visual effect created through laboratory processes or camera manipulation rather than digital CGI.
Simple“Old movies used physical opticals to create fades between scenes.”
In context“Before the advent of digital compositing, complex opticals were achieved through multiple exposures on a single strip of film.”
Usageusually used in the plural form 'opticals'
Synonyms
Usage optical fibers · optical properties
“Kyla Black, Boots Opticians’ director of optical practice, said: “It isn’t worth taking the risk with your eyesight.”
“By shining light on an atomically thin material cooled close to absolute zero, researchers uncovered optical signals that reveal not just where the electrons are, but how they move together.”
From optic + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.