lens
noun
\ ˈlenz
\
\
Definition of lens
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: a piece of transparent material (such as glass) that has two opposite regular surfaces either both curved or one curved and the other plane and that is used either singly or combined in an optical instrument for forming an image by focusing rays of light
b
: a combination of two or more simple lenses
c
: a piece of glass or plastic used (as in safety goggles or sunglasses) to protect the eye
2
: a device for directing or focusing radiation other than light (such as sound waves, radio microwaves, or electrons)
3
: something shaped like a biconvex optical lens
lens of sandstone
4
: a highly transparent biconvex lens-shaped or nearly spherical body in the eye that focuses light rays (as upon the retina) — see eye illustration
5
: something that facilitates and influences perception, comprehension, or evaluation
viewing the current legal battle … through partisan lenses — New Republic
lens
verb
lensed;
lensing;
lenses
Definition of lens (Entry 2 of 3)
: to make a motion picture of : film
Lens
geographical name
\ ˈläⁿs
\
\
Definition of Lens (Entry 3 of 3)
commune in northern France southwest of Lille population 35,032
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Other Words from lens
Noun
lensed
\ ˈlenzd
\
adjective
\
adjective
lensless
\ ˈlenz-ləs
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of lens in a Sentence
Noun
Make sure the lens of the microscope is clean.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
His lens also caught Jack Nicholson, Julie Andrews, Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford, Diana Ross, and many more. — BostonGlobe.com, "Orlando Suero, photographer of Kennedys and other luminaries, dies at 94," 28 Aug. 2019 His lens also caught Jack Nicholson, Julie Andrews, Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford, Diana Ross and many more. — New York Times, "Orlando Suero, 94, Dies; Photographed Notables, Including the Kennedys," 27 Aug. 2019 Morris is no stranger to training his lens on controversial figures, including Robert S. McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld. — Tatiana Siegel, The Hollywood Reporter, "Controversial Steve Bannon Doc Finally Scores Theatrical Release (Exclusive)," 7 Aug. 2019 Yellow filters on my lenses and dive mask block the stimulating blue light, enabling me to see and capture the full extent of the psychedelic spectacle. — Smithsonian, "Amazing Photos Reveal the Hidden Light of Undersea Life," 25 July 2019 Yet all of her photographs have a divine glow as if her camera lens were capturing the spiritual aura from her subjects. — Darryl Ratcliff, Dallas News, "Latina artists in Dallas showcase 'were told ‘no,’ and they triumphed anyway’," 25 July 2019 And in 2009, Thacher reversed her lens to launch San Francisco Village, a nonprofit that addresses life concerns for aging adults. — Catherine Bigelow, SFChronicle.com, "Enterprise for Youth celebrates 50 as founder Glady Thacher celebrates 90," 24 July 2019 What Manny hadn't seen through his childhood lens was the prostitution scene in Phoenix. — Jessica Boehm, azcentral, "A beat cop, a fateful shooting and the moments that shaped Phoenix's history," 17 July 2019 Here’s something to keep in mind this summer: Turns out, swimming in your contact lenses is definitely not a good idea. — Maggie O'neill, Health.com, "Swimming in Contact Lenses Can Cause Vision Loss—Here’s How," 17 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Cinematographer Checco Varese excels in lensing Pennywise’s nightmarish interludes with a gorgeous, surreal and inviting texture. — Jen Yamatostaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Overlong ‘It Chapter Two’ confronts scarier evils than Pennywise the clown," 3 Sep. 2019 Each photographer on this list is already quite prolific, shooting magazine covers, releasing coffee table books, and lensing major ad campaigns. — Jessica Andrews, Teen Vogue, "Black Fashion Photographers to Follow on Instagram," 7 Aug. 2018 Check out the full collection, modeled by Kardashian and lensed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott below. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Just Released $90 Sunglasses and They’re Good," 5 Apr. 2019 Tanja capped off her royal meeting with a quick photoshoot lensed by Edwards, a surreal experience for her. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Duchess Camilla Surprised Her Biggest Fan in the Sweetest Way Possible," 13 May 2019 Working with an obviously low budget, debut helmer Ramsay stages the occasionally gory proceedings cleanly and efficiently, aided by Alexander Alexandrov's impressive widescreen lensing and Chris Westlake's suitably tense musical score. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Midnighters': Film Review," 1 Mar. 2018 Hadid noted that shooting this calendar was much different than her first time appearing in Pirelli's 2015 calendar lensed by Steven Meisel. — Chrissy Rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "Gigi Hadid Talks Success and Loneliness for the 2019 Pirelli Calendar," 26 July 2018 Andreas Laszlo Konrath will lens the endeavor, which will star Camille Rowe alongside Carmelo Anthony, photographer Glen Luchford, and tattoo artist Alex McWatt. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince George Cheers on William at Father's Day Polo Match," 16 June 2014 However, what's really caught our eye is the fact that the empowering images lensed by Mayan Toledano show Lourdes unapologetically flaunting her armpit hair. — Kristin Corpuz, Teen Vogue, "Lourdes Leon Shows Off Body Hair In New Converse x MadeMe Campaign," 21 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lens.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lens
lens
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lens
: a clear curved piece of glass or plastic that is used in eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, etc., to make things look clearer, smaller, or bigger
: the clear part of the eye that focuses light to form clear images
See the full definition for lens in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lens
noun
\ ˈlenz
\
\
Kids Definition of lens
1
: a clear curved piece of material (as glass) used to bend the rays of light to form an image
2
: a clear part of the eye behind the pupil and iris that focuses rays of light on the retina to form clear images