waveplate

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noun

A thin layer of a birefringent material that is used to introduce a controlled phase shift between the two polarization components of a light wave, thereby altering its polarization

Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounwaveplate (plural waveplates)

plural waveplates

  1. natural sciencesA thin layer of a birefringent material that is used to introduce a controlled phase shift between the two polarization components of a light wave, thereby altering its polarization

Origin

From wave + plate.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

waveplate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waveplate

MLA

“waveplate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waveplate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “waveplate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waveplate.

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