confocal

adjective

con·​fo·​cal (ˌ)kän-ˈfō-kəl How to pronounce confocal (audio)
: having the same foci
confocal ellipses
confocal lenses
confocally adverb

Examples of confocal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Still, with advancements like confocal fluorescence microscopy, experts are readier than ever to give them a look once more are found. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 After mounting the specimen to a slide using dental wax, the team placed glycerin on each side for the field of view of a confocal fluorescence microscope. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 This system combines two advanced technologies: the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) and the Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Sitting at the controls of the confocal microscope that filled half of a dark and dusty room in Nixon’s lab, the research scientist Philip Stavrides toggled the field of focus up and down over one of the human Alzheimer’s brain samples. Quanta Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022 So the Bessel beam can scan a cell with the same total flux as the light spots used in confocal microscopy, but that flux is distributed among the seven beams and the cell isn’t flooded with excess light; thus, the cell isn’t damaged nearly as quickly. Jen Christiansen, Scientific American, 21 May 2013 The authors basically threw the toxinological kitchen sink at 'bee-killer' assassin bugs (Pristhesancus plagipennis), scanning and visualizing their tissues with with an MRI scan, a micro-CT scan, and confocal laser scanning microscopy to figure out all the moving parts. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2018 Researchers used superresolution confocal microscopy and green fluorescent protein (GFP) to capture this close-up. Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2018 Alexandre Dumoulin from the University of Zurich used confocal imaging at 40x magnification to highlight these nerve fibers that convey information and connect the two sides of bilateral animals. Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confocal was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near confocal

Cite this Entry

“Confocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confocal. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

confocal

adjective
con·​fo·​cal (ˈ)kän-ˈfō-kəl How to pronounce confocal (audio)
: having the same foci
confocal lenses
confocally adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!