optical fiber

noun

: a single fiber-optic strand

Examples of optical fiber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Testing sensors on canisters During the INL demonstration, researchers installed optical fibers outside a mock nuclear fuel canister and tested several arrangements to measure acoustic vibrations. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026 Inside Prysmian’s optical fiber plant Behind the billion-dollar expansion is an intricate manufacturing process few outside the industry get to see. — Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026 External forces such as stretching, pressure, or temperature can slightly alter the glass's physical and optical properties, making these forces measurable by tracking changes in the light passing through the optical fiber. — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 The Legacy Imaging Surveys were originally designed to help DESI determine where to point its thousands of robotic optical fibers, essentially creating the 2D foundation for DESI's much larger effort to map the universe in three dimensions. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for optical fiber

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of optical fiber was in 1962

Rhymes for optical fiber

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Browse Nearby Words

optical electron
optical fiber
optical flat
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Cite this Entry

“Optical fiber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optical%20fiber. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

optical fiber

noun
: a single fiber-optic strand

Medical Definition

optical fiber

noun
: a single fiber-optic strand
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