What does camera obscura mean?

Definitions for camera obscura
ɒbˈskyʊər əcam·er·a ob·scu·ra

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word camera obscura.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. camera obscuranoun

    a darkened enclosure in which images of outside objects are projected through a small aperture or lens onto a facing surface

Wiktionary

  1. camera obscuranoun

    A darkened chamber in which the image of an outside object is projected and focused onto a surface

  2. Etymology: New Latin, from camera, chamber, + obscura, dark.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. CAMERA OBSCURA

    An optical machine used in a darkened chamber, so that the light coming only through a double convex glass, objects exposed to daylight, and opposite to the glass, are represented inverted upon any white matter placed in the focus of the glass. Martin.

    Etymology: Latin.

ChatGPT

  1. camera obscura

    A camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings onto a screen, often used in drawing and for entertainment. It essentially consists of a box or room with a hole in one side, through which light from an external scene passes, striking a surface inside and reproducing the colors and features of the scene in reverse. This simple technology was foundational in the development of photography.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Camera obscura

    an apparatus in which the images of external objects, formed by a convex lens or a concave mirror, are thrown on a paper or other white surface placed in the focus of the lens or mirror within a darkened chamber, or box, so that the outlines may be traced

  2. Camera obscura

    an apparatus in which the image of an external object or objects is, by means of lenses, thrown upon a sensitized plate or surface placed at the back of an extensible darkened box or chamber variously modified; -- commonly called simply the camera

  3. Etymology: [LL. camera chamber + L. obscurus, obscura, dark.]

Wikidata

  1. Camera obscura

    The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography and the camera. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side. Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside, where it is reproduced, upside-down, but with color and perspective preserved. The image can be projected onto paper, and can then be traced to produce a highly accurate representation.The largest camera obscura in the world is on Constitution Hill in Aberystwyth, Wales. Using mirrors, as in the 18th-century overhead version, it is possible to project a right-side-up image. Another more portable type is a box with an angled mirror projecting onto tracing paper placed on the glass top, the image being upright as viewed from the back. As the pinhole is made smaller, the image gets sharper, but the projected image becomes dimmer. With too small a pinhole, however, the sharpness worsens, due to diffraction. Some practical camera obscuras use a lens rather than a pinhole because it allows a larger aperture, giving a usable brightness while maintaining focus.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Camera Obscura

    an optical contrivance, by means of which the images of external objects are exhibited distinctly on a surface in the focus of the lens.

Suggested Resources

  1. camera obscura

    Song lyrics by camera obscura -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by camera obscura on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and Origins

  1. Camera Obscura

    Literally a dark chamber.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of camera obscura in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of camera obscura in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of camera obscura in a Sentence

  1. Erik Pevernagie:

    Camera obscura. The reverse engineering of our brain allows us to disassemble all the little pieces in the "camera obscura" of our mind and to identify changes and choices made, after absorbing the phenomena of our life.


Translations for camera obscura

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"camera obscura." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/camera+obscura>.

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