fiber-optic

adjective

fi·​ber-op·​tic ˈfī-bər-ˌäp-tik How to pronounce fiber-optic (audio)
: of, relating to, or using fiber optics

Examples of fiber-optic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But the South China Morning Post has speculated that the tool could pose a threat to the fiber-optic cables linking to Pacific islands such as Guam, the US overseas territory that hosts several military bases. Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2026 Optical circuit switches are devices that determine the best path for optical signals to travel between fiber-optic cables. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 One solution has been fiber-optic drones, which connect to their operators through long cables spooling out of their tails. Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026 For one, during the dotcom era, much of the infrastructure built—such as fiber-optic cables—remained underutilized for years. Jake Angelo, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fiber-optic

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fiber-optic was in 1961

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Cite this Entry

“Fiber-optic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiber-optic. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

fiber-optic

adjective
fi·​ber-op·​tic
ˈfī-bər-ˌäp-tik
: of or relating to fiber optics
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