femtophotography

noun

A method of photography using sub-picosecond pulses of light (usually around 10⁻¹³ seconds, or 100 femtoseconds, long) to illuminate the subject of the photograph, allowing the propagation of the light pulse to be viewed directly.

OriginEnglish photography ← French photographie ← Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō) →
Scrabble 35
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Meanings

nounfemtophotography (uncountable)

alternative femto-photography

  1. uncountableartsA method of photography using sub-picosecond pulses of light (usually around 10⁻¹³ seconds, or 100 femtoseconds, long) to illuminate the subject of the photograph, allowing the propagation of the light pulse to be viewed directly.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pénkʷe
  2. Proto-Germanic*fimf
  3. Proto-Indo-European*déḱm̥
  4. Proto-Germanic*tehun
  5. Proto-Germanic*fimftehun
  6. Old Norsefimmtán
  7. Danishfemten
  8. Englishfemto-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  11. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  12. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  13. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  14. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  15. Proto-Indo-European*gerbʰ-
  16. Proto-Hellenic*grə́pʰō
  17. Ancient Greekγρᾰ́φω (grắphō)
  18. Frenchphotographie
  19. Englishphotography
  20. Englishfemtophotography

From femto- + photography, from the ~100-femtosecond-long pulses of light used.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

femtophotography. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/femtophotography

MLA

“femtophotography.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/femtophotography. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “femtophotography,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/femtophotography.

Source: femtophotography on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.