lenticular

adjective len·tic·u·lar \ len-ˈti-kyə-lər \

Updated on: 4 Mar 2018

Definition of lenticular

1 : having the shape of a double-convex lens

2 : of or relating to a lens

3 : provided with or utilizing lenticules

a lenticular screen

lenticular was our Word of the Day on 10/10/2012. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of lenticular from the Web

To the southwest, a huge spaceship-like lenticular cloud loomed over the Trinity Divide.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Joining the ‘5 Percent Club’ at Mount Shasta," 22 Feb. 2018
Remember, lenticular clouds almost exclusively are near large mountain ranges, where gravity waves result from air rushing up and over steep terrain.

— kathryn prociv, Washington Post, "Pic of the week: Asperitas clouds over the Alps resemble a Van Gogh masterpiece," 3 Nov. 2017
If the air temperature cools enough to condense the water vapor in it, a lenticular cloud may appear.

— kathryn prociv, Washington Post, "Pic of the week: Red sky in the morning is a sailor’s warning," 20 Oct. 2017
Typically, pieces of wood that have been cut to resemble ax blades now serve as flat supports for everything from actual antique watches and keys to lenticular images of planets and stars.

— mike guiliano, Columbia Flier, "Artists who really fill the galleries at HCC," 8 Sep. 2017
Compared to their lenticular prints, the brothers’ works in glass are mere afterthoughts.

— michael upchurch, The Seattle Times, "August brings extravagance at Seattle art galleries," 8 Aug. 2017
At The Little Black Gallery, Rob Munday will present his ultra-realistic holograms and 3D lenticular photography.

— fariba farshad, CNN, "Modern technology is transforming the photograph," 12 May 2017
In the cases of Batman and The Flash, however, one cover of each was a lenticular cover, and as such cost a dollar more and had to be ordered separately — meaning that Diamond counted those covers as entirely different comic books altogether.

— graeme mcmillan, The Hollywood Reporter, "Batman vs. Captain America: The Confusion Over April's Best-Selling Comic Book," 8 May 2017
Ten rubbings on synthetic paper, made on striated surfaces using graphite and Renaissance wax, suggest lenticular postcards of the Shroud of Turin: in each one, a black oval peers through the middle like an adamant apparition.

— The New Yorker, "Jack Whitten," 31 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lenticular.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Lentil-shaped-that's the meaning of lenticularis, the Latin word that gave us lenticular. It's an appropriate predecessor because a double-convex lens is one that is curved on both sides, giving it a shape similar to that of a lentil. English speakers borrowed the Latin term, adapting it to lenticular, in the 15th century. Lenticularis, in turn, derives from lenticula, which is the source of the English word lentil and a diminutive of the Latin form lent-, lens, meaning "lentil." You probably won't be too surprised to learn that lent-, lens also gave English the word lens.