Main Entry: ¹la·ser

Pronunciation: \ˈlā-zər\

Function: noun

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

Date: 1957

1 : a device that utilizes the natural oscillations of atoms or molecules between energy levels for generating a beam of coherent electromagnetic radiation usually in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared regions of the spectrum
2 : something resembling a laser beam in accuracy, speed, or intensity <threw a laser into the end zone> <a laser stare>