Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of several devices that emit highly amplified and coherent radiation of one or more discrete wavelengths. One of the most common lasers makes use of atoms in a metastable energy state, which, as they decay to a lower energy level, stimulate others to decay, resulting in a cascade of emitted radiation.
- noun A beam of radiation emitted by a laser.
- noun Sports A ball or puck sent in a straight line at high speed.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A gum-resin obtained from the north of Africa, and greatly esteemed by the ancients as an antispasmodic, deobstruent, and diuretic. It is supposed to have been produced by Thapsia Garganica or one of the varieties of that plant. Also called
asadulcis . - noun An obsolete form of
leisure .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A device which produces an intense, usually narrow, monochromatic beam of coherent light; called also
optical maser . It has various forms, and is used in various applications in science and technology. The beam is produced by boosting the majority of the electrons in specific radiation-absorbing atoms in a medium into a higher energy level, from which they are stimulated by their own emitted radiation to drop back synchronously to their lower energy level, and emit light which is in phase (coherent).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
gum resin obtained from certainumbelliferous plants. - noun Such a
plant . - noun A device that produces a
monochromatic ,coherent beam of light. - verb To cut with a laser
- verb sports To throw with laser-like precision
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; an optical device that produces an intense monochromatic beam of coherent light
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word laser.
Examples
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Each ball bearing had his name laser etched on it.
Gideon’s war Howard Gordon 2011
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Each ball bearing had his name laser etched on it.
Gideon’s war Howard Gordon 2011
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Each ball bearing had his name laser etched on it.
Gideon’s war Howard Gordon 2011
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Each ball bearing had his name laser etched on it.
Gideon’s war Howard Gordon 2011
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The term laser radar is also in use but is misleading because it uses laser light and not the radiowaves that are the basis of conventional radar
Next Big Future 2009
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The term laser radar is also in use but is misleading because it uses laser light and not the radiowaves that are the basis of conventional radar
Next Big Future 2009
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The term laser radar is also in use but is misleading because it uses laser light and not the radiowaves that are the basis of conventional radar
Next Big Future 2009
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Nov. 9, 1957: Columbia grad student Gordon Gould writes in his notebook calculations for what he calls a laser Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
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On this day in 1957, Gordon Gould began to write down the principles of what he called a laser in his notebook during a sleepless Saturday night.
The Origin of the Laser & Why Super-Villians Are Born Staq Mavlen 2007
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On this day in 1957, Gordon Gould began to write down the principles of what he called a laser in his notebook during a sleepless Saturday night.
Archive 2007-11-01 Staq Mavlen 2007
trivet commented on the word laser
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
February 28, 2007
bilby commented on the word laser
I don't understand this use of laser:
"The property has been lasered with recycle dam and pump, plus central laneway, elec fencing and troughs in all the paddocks, Cattle yards with crush plus ramp, 4 Bay Machinery shed with power and cement floor, disused dairy, tackle room plus Hay Shed and other Machinery shed."
- real estate ad.
May 14, 2009