retroreflector

noun

ret·​ro·​re·​flec·​tor ˌre-trō-ri-ˈflek-tər How to pronounce retroreflector (audio)
: a device that reflects radiation (such as light) so that the paths of the reflected rays are parallel to those of the incident rays

Examples of retroreflector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But there might be a simple, potentially inexpensive way to put a chill on urban heat: retroreflectors. Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Astrobotic sold capacity on its lander to several customers, mainly NASA, which is sending a radiation sensor, spectrometers, and a laser retroreflector array to the Moon aboard the Peregrine lander. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 6 Jan. 2024 But now researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, in Western Australia, have developed a coherent FSO link operating at 1,550 nanometers across a turbulent atmosphere between an optical ground terminal and a retroreflector mounted on an airborne drone. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Dec. 2022 Instead, a retroreflector directs the light back towards the source. Rhett Allain, Wired, 12 Sep. 2021 Its glittering ‘eyes’ were the glass retroreflector beads destined to snoop on unsuspecting targets. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 18 Feb. 2020 In practice, these retroreflectors acted as a remote microphone to eavesdrop on any conversation. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 18 Feb. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retroreflector was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near retroreflector

Cite this Entry

“Retroreflector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retroreflector. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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