The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cylindric \Cy*lin"dric\ (s?-l?n"dr?k), Cylindrical \Cy*lin"dric*al\ (-dr?-kal), a. [Gr. kylindriko`s, from ky`lindros cylinder: cf. F. cylindrique.] Having the form of a cylinder, or of a section of its convex surface; partaking of the properties of the cylinder.
Cylindrical lens, a lens having one, or more than one, cylindrical surface.
Cylindric surface, or Cylindrical surface (Geom.), a surface described by a straight line that moves according to any law, but so as to be constantly parallel to a given line.
Cylindrical vault. (Arch.) See under Vault, n.
Wikipedia
A cylindrical lens is a lens which focuses light into a line instead of a point, as a spherical lens would. The curved face or faces of a cylindrical lens are sections of a cylinder, and focus the image passing through it into a line parallel to the intersection of the surface of the lens and a plane tangent to it. The lens compresses the image in the direction perpendicular to this line, and leaves it unaltered in the direction parallel to it (in the tangent plane). In a light sheet microscope, a cylindrical lens is placed in front of the illumination objective to create the light sheet used for imaging.
Usage examples of "cylindrical lens".
Refracted as through a cylindrical lens, the light fanned out on the far side to be focused and refocused, getting fainter with each repetition, in the array of pillars beyond.
Refracted as through a cylindrical lens, the light fanned out on the far side to be focused and refocused, getting fainter with each repeti- tion, in the array of pillars beyond.
It used a single cylindrical lens rather than the two spherical ones we mammals use.