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

Later this year, a second Proto unit will be installed with more members of his namesake band, Bon Jovi, appearing in hologram form. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 June 2024

Their renderings show simple cottages and nicely landscaped walkways, with nary a hologram projection or giant sculpture in sight. —Maya Jasanoff, The New Yorker, 19 June 2024

While the Winehouse hologram waits in the wings for her big break, here’s all the cast, plot, and release-date details for Back to Black. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024

Even the Walmart Museum, housed in some of the company’s original store locations, is getting a facelift, with a new interactive, life-sized hologram of founder Sam Walton, who died in 1992. —Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 7 June 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