hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhä- 

: a three-dimensional image reproduced from a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation (such as a laser)

also : the pattern of interference itself

Did you know?

A hologram is a picture of a "whole" object, showing it in three dimensions. We've all seen cheap hologram images on credit cards and ID cards (where they help prevent copying). Far more impressive are large holograms that take the form of a ghostly 3-D moving figure that you can walk around to see from all angles. Holograms were invented in 1947 but only perfected after the invention of the laser in 1960. Today they're used in such technologies as compact-disc players and checkout scanners, and holograms can be created of the inside of live internal organs to permit doctors to examine the organs in great detail. And soon televisions with hologram technology may enable us to watch in "3-D".

Examples of hologram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The conceit — thanks to replicator technology, holograms, and the suspension of disbelief — has given us a pipe-smoking Data playing Sherlock Holmes, Capt. Janeway starting a morally complex relationship with an Irish barman, and the creation of Vic Fontaine and his nightclub on Deep Space Nine. —Vanessa Armstrong, IndieWire, 31 July 2025

Patches of the painting were embedded with holograms, and as Kazuo moved closer, details shifted before his eyes. —Hazlitt, 16 July 2025

Although this Fortress looked huge on the outside, scenes of the inside mostly consisted of an icy cavern, featuring holograms to advance the plot. —Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 11 July 2025

The machines use a hologram image to exactly replicate the speed and movement of any major-league pitcher — including the one the Marlins will face in their next game. —Greg Cote july 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

holo- + -gram

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hologram

• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram
• diaphragm
• epigram
• hexagram
• histogram
• instagram
• kilogram

Kids Definition

hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhäl-ə- 

: a three-dimensional picture made by a complex pattern of light (as laser light)

Medical Definition

hologram

noun

ho·​lo·​gram ˈhō-lə-ˌgram  ˈhäl-ə- 

: a three-dimensional image reproduced from a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation (as from a laser)

also : the pattern of interference itself