apochromatic
|a-po-chro-mat-ic|
/ˌeɪpəkrəˈmætɪk/
strongly corrected for color (in optics)
Etymology
'apochromatic' originates from Greek, specifically from the components 'apo-' and 'chroma', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and 'chroma' meant 'color'.
'apochromatic' developed in technical optics in the 19th century from the noun 'apochromat' (used in German and other European languages for lenses) with the adjectival suffix '-ic' to form the modern English adjective 'apochromatic'.
Initially it meant 'separated from color' or 'free from color errors' in a general sense; over time it came to have the technical meaning 'corrected for multiple wavelengths (typically three) to minimize chromatic aberration' used in optics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
designating an optical system (especially a lens) that is highly corrected for chromatic aberration, bringing three or more wavelengths into the same focus to minimize color fringing.
The apochromatic objective produced sharp images with almost no color fringing at the edges.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/19 04:36