confocal

adjective

con·​fo·​cal (ˌ)kän-ˈfō-kəl 

: having the same foci

confocal ellipses

confocal lenses

confocally

(ˌ)kän-ˈfō-kə-lē 

adverb

Examples of confocal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Microbiome analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges reveal massive colonization by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Chryseobacterium species International Journal of Food Microbiology. — Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2025

Their in-depth analysis combined advanced imaging techniques, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, with machine learning algorithms trained to recognize molecular fingerprints of known organisms. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

After mounting the specimen to a slide using dental wax, the team placed glycerin on each side for the field of view of a confocal fluorescence microscope. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024

This system combines two advanced technologies: the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) and the Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS). — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for confocal

• nonlocal
• cloacal
• focal
• local
• sokol
• vocal
• multifocal
• univocal

Medical Definition

confocal

adjective

con·​fo·​cal (ˈ)kän-ˈfō-kəl 

: having the same foci

confocal lenses

confocally

-kə-lē 

adverb