etalon

noun

eta·​lon
ˈātᵊlˌän,
ˈet-
plural -s
: an interferometer in which two parallel partially silvered glass plates at a fixed distance apart produce by multiple reflection interference spectra of high dispersion and resolution adapted to the fine-structure analysis of spectrum lines

Word History

Etymology

French étalon standard of weights and measures, from Middle French estalon, estelon, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Frisian stal shape, form

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Dictionary Entries Near etalon

et alia

etalon

eta meson

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Cite this Entry

“Etalon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etalon. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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