collimate

English

Etymology

Latin collīmō, which originated as a misreading of collīniō, collīneō.

Verb

collimate (third-person singular simple present collimates, present participle collimating, simple past and past participle collimated)

1. To focus into a narrow beam or column; to adjust a focusing device so that it produces a narrow beam.

   Lead bricks were placed around the radioactive source so that the escaping gamma rays would be limited to a collimated beam rather than filling the lab.

   I need to collimate my telescope so that the images are clearer.

   • 2006, Martin Mobberley, Lunar and Planetary Webcam User's Guide, page 22:

     However, after a bit of experience, the collimating chore can become routine. […] Of course, if manufacturers made telescopes whose optics did not move around, you would only have to collimate a telescope once.

   • 2007, Stephen Tonkin, Binocular Astronomy, page 69:

     Binoculars can be collimated by either eccentric rings on the objective lenses or by tilting the prisms with grub screws (set screws). […] Always collimate binoculars outdoors, or indoors by looking through an open window.

   • 2008, Roberto Ramirez-Iniguez, Sevia M. Idrus, Ziran Sun, Optical Wireless Communications: IR for Wireless Connectivity, page 61:

     When calculating the size of the spot created on the retina by the lens of the eye when focusing the energy from a collimated source, the eye is generally considered to be ideal and diffraction limited.

Related terms

• collimation
• decollimation
• collimator

Translations

to focus

• Catalan: col·limar (ca)
• Finnish: kollimoida
• German: kollimieren
• Spanish: colimar (es)
• Turkish: hizalamak (tr)

Anagrams

• local time

Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

collimate

1. inflection of collimare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

collimate f pl

1. feminine plural of collimato

Anagrams

• metallico