# prism

/ˈpɹɪzəm/ (US) · /pɹˈɪzəm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/prism
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. optical glass

noun · CEFR B2

a transparent glass object that splits white light into a rainbow of different colours.

For teachers: a transparent optical element with polished flat surfaces that refract light, often used to disperse white light into its constituent spectral colours.

- The scientist used a glass prism to show how sunlight is actually made of many colours.
- By passing a narrow beam of sunlight through a triangular prism, Newton demonstrated that white light is composed of a continuous spectrum of colours.

### 2. geometric shape

noun · CEFR B2

a solid shape with two ends that are the same size and shape, and flat sides.

For teachers: a polyhedron with two parallel, congruent faces (bases) and additional faces that are parallelograms.

- A rectangular prism looks like a standard cardboard box.
- The students were asked to calculate the total surface area of a hexagonal prism during their geometry exam.

### 3. a perspective

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a particular way of looking at or understanding a situation.

For teachers: a conceptual framework or perspective through which information is filtered or interpreted.

- The author views the entire history of the country through the prism of his own family's experiences.
- The biographer examined the politician's early career through the prism of post-war social change, offering a fresh interpretation of his motivations.

## Examples

- The glass prism created a rainbow on the wall.
- In science class, we used a triangular prism to study how white light separates into different colors.
- Newton's experiments with the prism demonstrated that white light is not a single entity but a composite of various wavelengths, each refracting at a slightly different angle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.