Meaning & use

prism

noun·Academic

A transparent solid, usually glass, with flat sides that bends light and separates it into a spectrum of colors.

See it in a sentence

Sunlight passing through the prism split into a rainbow of colors on the wall.

The scientist used a glass prism to demonstrate how white light contains many colors.

A note on using this word

The phrase 'through the prism of' is a common figurative expression meaning to view something from a particular perspective.

Words with a similar meaning

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