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 right light creates an optical illusion that the avatar is actually there, not dissimilar to the hologram tours of Whitney Houston and Roy Orbison that had launched before the pandemic. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2024

Media take his side April 3, 2024 Any item authenticated by MLB can be verified on a website by typing in the hologram identification combination — usually two letters and six numbers. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

But there would be some chance at detection, thanks to anti-fraud features, like holograms, UV images, and microtext, now common on physical ID cards. —Wayne Chang, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The hologram was created in partnership between British immersive entertainment company Layered Reality and Authentic Brands Group, which owns the rights to Elvis' image. —Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024

The Donetsk tour also includes hologram tributes to separatist rebels killed in fighting and a 6-foot rose sculpture made from shrapnel. —Charles Maynes, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024

Once a play is made and the ball is no longer deemed usable, the ball is thrown over to the dugout where a special hologram sticker is placed on each ball. —Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024

Dhar jokingly threw out the suggestion of putting a hologram on stage, and the idea stuck. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024

My group records the digital holograms of these fingermarks and visualizes them in 3D on a computer. —Partha Banerjee, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

holo- + -gram

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

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