1
: a polyhedron with two polygonal faces lying in parallel planes and with the other faces parallelograms
2
a
: a transparent body that is bounded in part by two nonparallel plane faces and is used to refract or disperse a beam of light
b
: a prism-shaped decorative glass luster
3
: a crystal form whose faces are parallel to one axis
especially
: one whose faces are parallel to the vertical axis
4
: a medium that distorts, slants, or colors whatever is viewed through it
Examples of prism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also worth seeing: Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake, which revisits the story through a post-9/11 prism.
—
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Bright white sunlight contains all of the colors of the visible spectrum—colors that break apart and spill out when the light passes through a prism or through the sky after a storm, producing a dazzling rainbow.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Sand Cloud has a gorgeous turtle prism, extra-large beach towel that doubles as a beach blanket.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2025
The modern description of the atom can trace its roots to the invention of the prism and the spreading of the solar spectrum into its composite colors, which led to the identification of discrete energy levels in an atom and, finally, the development of quantum mechanics.
—Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prism
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Bright white sunlight contains all of the colors of the visible spectrum—colors that break apart and spill out when the light passes through a prism or through the sky after a storm, producing a dazzling rainbow.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Sand Cloud has a gorgeous turtle prism, extra-large beach towel that doubles as a beach blanket.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2025
The modern description of the atom can trace its roots to the invention of the prism and the spreading of the solar spectrum into its composite colors, which led to the identification of discrete energy levels in an atom and, finally, the development of quantum mechanics.
—Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prism
Cite this Entry
“Prism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prism. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prism
noun1
: a polyhedron with two opposite ends that are parallel polygons and faces that are each parallelograms
2
: a transparent object that usually has three sides and bends light so that it breaks up into rainbow colors
Medical Definition
prism
noun1
: a polyhedron with two polygonal faces lying in parallel planes and with the other faces parallelograms
2
: a transparent body that is bounded in part by two nonparallel plane faces and is used to refract or disperse a beam of light
3
: a crystal form whose faces are parallel to one axis
especially
: one whose faces are parallel to the vertical axis
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