Polar(a.) Of or pertaining to one of the poles of the earth, or of a sphere; situated near, or proceeding from, one of the poles; as, polar regions; polar seas; polar winds.
Polar(a.) Of or pertaining to the magnetic pole, or to the point to which the magnetic needle is directed.
Polar(a.) Pertaining to, reckoned from, or having a common radiating point; as, polar coordinates.
Polar(n.) The right line drawn through the two points of contact of the two tangents drawn from a given point to a given conic section. The given point is called the pole of the line. If the given point lies within the curve so that the two tangents become imaginary, there is still a real polar line which does not meet the curve, but which possesses other properties of the polar. Thus the focus and directrix are pole and polar. There are also poles and polar curves to curves of higher degree than the second, and poles and polar planes to surfaces of the second degree.
Polaric(a.) See Polar.
Polarity(n.) That quality or condition of a body in virtue of which it exhibits opposite, or contrasted, properties or powers, in opposite, or contrasted, parts or directions; or a condition giving rise to a contrast of properties corresponding to a contrast of positions, as, for example, attraction and repulsion in the opposite parts of a magnet, the dissimilar phenomena corresponding to the different sides of a polarized ray of light, etc.
Polarity(n.) A property of the conic sections by virtue of which a given point determines a corresponding right line and a given right line determines a corresponding point. See Polar, n.
Polarization(n.) The act of polarizing; the state of being polarized, or of having polarity.
Polarization(n.) A peculiar affection or condition of the rays of light or heat, in consequence of which they exhibit different properties in different directions.
Polarization(n.) An effect produced upon the plates of a voltaic battery, or the electrodes in an electrolytic cell, by the deposition upon them of the gases liberated by the action of the current. It is chiefly due to the hydrogen, and results in an increase of the resistance, and the setting up of an opposing electro-motive force, both of which tend materially to weaken the current of the battery, or that passing through the cell.
Polarize(v. t.) To communicate polarity to.
Polarized(imp. & p. p.) of Polarize
Polarizer(n.) That which polarizes; especially, the part of a polariscope which receives and polarizes the light. It is usually a reflecting plate, or a plate of some crystal, as tourmaline, or a doubly refracting crystal.
Polarizing(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Polarize
Words within polarity