optic
adjective
- optical
noun
- lens used in a lighthouse
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈɒp.tɪk/ / /ˈɑp.tɪk/
adj
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French optique or Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτῐκός (optĭkós, “of or for sight”), from ὀπτός (optós, “visible”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, “-ic”, adjectival suffix).
- Of, or relating to the eye or to vision.
“The moon, whose orb / Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views.”
- Of, or relating to optics or optical instruments.
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French optique or Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτῐκός (optĭkós, “of or for sight”), from ὀπτός (optós, “visible”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, “-ic”, adjectival suffix).
- An eye.
“The difference is as great between / The optics seeing, as the object seen.”
“how they, / Who saw those figures on the margin kiss all, / Could turn their optics to the text and pray, / Is more than I know[…]”
- A lens or other part of an optical instrument that interacts with light.
“The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.”
- A measuring device with a small window, attached to an upside-down bottle, used to dispense alcoholic drinks in a bar.
“They were neatly lined up on three shelves between the optics of martini, vodka, whisky and gin.”
“They pulled up two bar stools and looked around the room as the barman relieved the whisky optic of its contents.”