autocollimation
|au-to-coll-i-ma-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəˌkɑːləˈmeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊkɒlɪˈmeɪʃən/
self-aligning by reflection
Etymology
'autocollimation' originates from Greek, specifically the prefix 'autos' (auto-) meaning 'self', combined with 'collimation' (from the verb 'collimate'), where 'collimate' ultimately derives from Latin 'collimare' meaning 'to bring into a straight line or make parallel'.
'autocollimation' formed by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'auto-' with the English noun 'collimation' (itself from the verb 'collimate', attested from the 17th century and derived via Late/Medieval Latin 'collimare'); the full technical noun 'autocollimation' appeared in optical literature in the 19th–20th centuries as instruments and techniques developed.
Originally, 'collimate' meant 'to bring into a straight line' or 'make parallel'; over time the combined form 'autocollimation' came to refer specifically to the optical procedure of self-reflection alignment and to precise angular measurement using that principle.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a technique in optics in which a collimated beam of light is reflected back upon itself (usually from a plane mirror or using an autocollimator) to align optical components or to detect and measure very small angular displacements.
Autocollimation is commonly used to align telescope mirrors and verify the straightness of optical rails.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/24 14:44