moiré pattern

/mwaˈɹeɪ ˈpætɚn/

noun

an optical effect formed when one family of curves is superposed on another, the lines of the overlapping figures crossing at an angle less than about 45°; the moiré lines are then the locus of the points of intersection

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounmoiré pattern (plural moiré patterns)

plural moiré patterns

  1. an optical effect formed when one family of curves is superposed on another, the lines of the overlapping figures crossing at an angle less than about 45°; the moiré lines are then the locus of the points of intersection

Origin

From moiré + pattern.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 摩爾紋 /摩尔纹
  • 摩爾紋 /摩尔纹 (Móěrwén)an optical effect
Icelandic mormynstur
  • mormynsturan optical effect
Russian муар
  • муар (muar)an optical effect
Ukrainian муар
  • муар (muar)an optical effect
Cite this entry
APA

moiré pattern. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moir%C3%A9%20pattern

MLA

“moiré pattern.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moir%C3%A9%20pattern. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moiré pattern,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moir%C3%A9%20pattern.

Source: moiré pattern on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.