optics

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒptɪks/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑptɪks/

From Medieval Latin opticus (“optic, optical”), from Ancient Greek ὀπτικός (optikós), equivalent to optic +‎ -ics.

optics (uncountable)

1. (physics) The physics of light and vision.
2. The light-related aspects of a device.

   The optics of this telescope are particularly good.

   • 2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:

     Digging deeper, the invention of eyeglasses is an elaboration of the more fundamental development of optics technology. The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, […] .

3. (figuratively) Perception, image, public relations.
   • 2007 January 1, Mark Steyn, "Blowing a 'hinge moment' of history", in The Jerusalem Post:

     […] I'd be interested to know whether US authorities proffered any "advice" on the optics: Ixnay on the torture dungeon, […] ; if you have to have victims' loved ones present, go for the widows and photogenic orphans rather than Moqtada's boys.

   • 2015 September 28, Dan Neil, quoted in "Pope Francis and the little black car", BBC News:

     "There's also a gentle nod to the Vatican and Italy, which shows the Pope is not above playing a little optics - I'm sure he and the CEO of Fiat have met."

optics

1. plural of optic

• copist, cops it, picots, postic, topics