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collimate

verb
col·​li·​mate | \ ˈkä-lə-ˌmāt How to pronounce collimate (audio) \
collimated; collimating

Definition of collimate

transitive verb

: to make parallel collimate light rays
Other Words from collimate Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about collimate

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Other Words from collimate

collimation \ ˌkä-​lə-​ˈmā-​shən How to pronounce collimation (audio) \ noun

Did You Know?

One might expect a science-y word like collimate to have a straightforward etymology, but that's not the case. Collimate comes from Latin collimare, a misreading of the Latin word collineare, meaning "to direct in a straight line." The erroneous collimare appeared in some editions of the works of ancient Roman statesman Cicero and scholar Aulus Gellius. The error was propagated by later writers-most notably by astronomers, such as Johannes Kepler, who wrote in Latin. And so it was the spelling collimate, rather than collineate, that passed into English in the 19th century.

Examples of collimate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 But black holes produce their own radiation, especially high-energy X-rays and gamma-rays, which shoot out from the star in the form of tightly collimated... — Newsweek, "Analysis," 14 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of collimate

1878, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for collimate

Latin collimatus, past participle of collimare, manuscript variant of collineare to make straight, from com- + linea line

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More Definitions for collimate

collimate

transitive verb
col·​li·​mate | \ ˈkäl-ə-ˌmāt How to pronounce collimate (audio) \
collimated; collimating

Medical Definition of collimate

: to make (as rays of light) parallel

Other Words from collimate

collimation \ ˌkäl-​ə-​ˈmā-​shən How to pronounce collimation (audio) \ noun

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