camera obscura
noun
cam·era ob·scu·ra
ˈkam-rə-əb-ˈskyu̇r-ə 
ˈka-mə-rə-
: a darkened enclosure having an aperture usually provided with a lens through which light from external objects enters to form an image of the objects on the opposite surface
Examples of camera obscura in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This castle certainly has a museum feel, what with its clever camera obscura offering 360-degree views of Lisbon in real time, archaeological site spanning three diverse periods, and ruins of the former royal palace, which suffered great damage during the earthquake of 1755.
—
Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
In its nearly two-hundred-year history, photography has continuously reinvented itself while being grounded in two earlier discoveries: first, the image projection of the camera obscura; and second, the observation that certain substances are altered by exposure to light.
—Florian Ebner, Artforum, 2 Nov. 2025
Credit Learoyd’s unique approach to the camera obscura—here, a painstakingly elaborate process of his own design that gives his images a depth that tempts touch.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Kepler’s drawings were made using a camera obscura, a device that utilized a small hole in the wall of the instrument to project the sun’s image on a sheet of paper.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024
The earliest datable sunspot drawings based on Kepler's solar observations with camera obscura in May 1607.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024
That’s when one of those 2-foot tall numbers come off the board, creating a bizarre camera obscura to a range of possibilities.
—Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 14 Apr. 2024
Nicolaus Copernicus observed this phenomenon through a camera obscura, which, along with other observations, helped explain that the sun, not the Earth, was at the center of our planetary system.
—Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024
Mattel courts toy-shopping parents with sustainable products To a child, a box can be a doll’s house or a rocket ship, a camera obscura or a magic carpet sailing down the concrete slides in Golden Gate Park.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023
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Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
In its nearly two-hundred-year history, photography has continuously reinvented itself while being grounded in two earlier discoveries: first, the image projection of the camera obscura; and second, the observation that certain substances are altered by exposure to light.
—Florian Ebner, Artforum, 2 Nov. 2025
Credit Learoyd’s unique approach to the camera obscura—here, a painstakingly elaborate process of his own design that gives his images a depth that tempts touch.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Kepler’s drawings were made using a camera obscura, a device that utilized a small hole in the wall of the instrument to project the sun’s image on a sheet of paper.
—Cnn, The Mercury News, 25 Dec. 2024
The earliest datable sunspot drawings based on Kepler's solar observations with camera obscura in May 1607.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024
That’s when one of those 2-foot tall numbers come off the board, creating a bizarre camera obscura to a range of possibilities.
—Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 14 Apr. 2024
Nicolaus Copernicus observed this phenomenon through a camera obscura, which, along with other observations, helped explain that the sun, not the Earth, was at the center of our planetary system.
—Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024
Mattel courts toy-shopping parents with sustainable products To a child, a box can be a doll’s house or a rocket ship, a camera obscura or a magic carpet sailing down the concrete slides in Golden Gate Park.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Camera obscura.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camera%20obscura. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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