noun
Common
lens
lehnz
Lens (noun) means a curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light to focus or spread it out, used in glasses, cameras, and telescopes. Example: “The telescope's main lens is ground to a very precise curve.”
noun
1
A curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light to focus or spread it out, used in glasses, cameras, and telescopes.
"The telescope's main lens is ground to a very precise curve."
"She wiped a smudge off the camera lens before taking the photo."
"His new glasses have thinner lenses than his old pair."
2
The clear part inside the eye that focuses light onto the retina.
"The lens changes shape so that you can focus on both near and distant objects."
"With age, the lens in your eye can lose some of its flexibility."
"Cataracts happen when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy."
3
A particular way of looking at or interpreting something.
"Looking at the problem through a different lens helped the team find a solution."
"Historians often study the past through the lens of everyday family life."
"The documentary examines the war through the lens of ordinary soldiers."
How to use lens
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA curved piece of glass that focuses light — in a camera, glasses, telescope, or the eye — or, figuratively, a particular angle of viewing something.
Common pairings
contact lens
camera lens
through the lens of
wide-angle lens
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Word forms
- Plural
- lenses, lentes
- Third person singular
- lenses
- Past tense
- lensed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The telescope's main _____ is ground to a very precise curve.
Etymology
From Latin lēns, "lentil" — glass lenses were named for their lentil-like shape.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for lens
See all rhymes for lens →Frequently asked questions
What does “lens” mean?
The word “lens” means a curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light to focus or spread it out, used in glasses, cameras, and telescopes. In plain terms, a curved piece of glass that focuses light — in a camera, glasses, telescope, or the eye — or, figuratively, a particular angle of viewing something.
How do you pronounce “lens”?
“Lens” is pronounced lehnz (/lɛnz/ in IPA).
How do you use “lens” in a sentence?
Here is “lens” used in a sentence: “She wiped a smudge off the camera lens before taking the photo.”
What part of speech is “lens”?
“Lens” is a noun.
Where does the word “lens” come from?
The word “lens” comes from Latin. From Latin lēns, "lentil" — glass lenses were named for their lentil-like shape.
Is “lens” a common word?
“Lens” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “lens” have?
“Lens” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light to focus or spread it out, used in glasses, cameras, and telescopes.
How do you spell the singular — "lens" or "lense"?
The correct singular spelling is "lens," and the plural is "lenses." "Lense" is a common misspelling and is not accepted in standard English.
What is the difference between a convex and a concave lens?
Both are lenses that bend light, but a convex lens curves outward and brings light rays together to a focus, while a concave lens curves inward and spreads light rays apart. Convex lenses are used to magnify, and concave lenses to diverge light.
What is the difference between a "lens" and a "mirror"?
A lens is a curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light passing through it to focus or spread it. A mirror reflects light off its surface rather than letting it pass through, so a lens transmits light while a mirror bounces it back.
What is the difference between a camera lens and the lens of the eye?
A camera lens is a curved piece of glass or plastic that focuses light onto film or a sensor. The lens of the eye is the clear part inside the eye that focuses light onto the retina, working in a similar way but as living tissue.
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