Etymology

laser

L1A1S1E1R1

Today it means: A device that produces a monochromatic, coherent beam of light. Full definition →

English LASER ← Latin radiatio ← Middle French émission
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laser · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*lewktom
  3. Proto-Germanic*leuhtą
  4. Proto-West Germanic*leuht
  5. Old Englishlēoht
  6. Middle Englishlight
  7. Englishlight
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₃emh₃-lo-s
  10. Proto-Italic*amlos?
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰí
  14. Proto-Italic*amβi-
  15. Latinambi-
  16. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  17. Proto-Indo-European*pl̥h₁nós
  18. Proto-Italic*plēnos
  19. Latinplēnus?
  20. Latinambiplus?
  21. Latinamplus
  22. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  23. Proto-Italic*θakos
  24. Latinamplificō
  25. Latinamplificātiō
  26. Englishamplification
  27. Proto-Indo-European*(s)tey-?
  28. Latinstimulus
  29. Latinstimulo
  30. Latinstimulatus
  31. Englishstimulate
  32. Englishstimulated
  33. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
  34. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
  35. Proto-Italic*eks
  36. Latinex
  37. Latinex-
  38. Proto-Indo-European*mey-?
  39. Proto-Indo-European*meyth₂-
  40. Proto-Indo-European*méyth₂eti
  41. Proto-Italic*meitō
  42. Old Latinmītō
  43. Latinmittō
  44. Latinēmittō
  45. Latinēmissiō
  46. Middle Frenchémission
  47. Englishemission
  48. Latinradius
  49. Latinradiō
  50. Latinradiatio
  51. Englishradiation
  52. EnglishLASER
  53. English todaylaser

From LASER, acronym of light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Coined by American physicist Gordon Gould in 1957. Originally called an optical maser.

laser · noun2

  1. Latin · borrowed fromlaser
  2. Latin · borrowed fromlaser
  3. English todaylaser

Borrowed from Latin laser.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.