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The polestar. See North star, under North.

An instrument consisting essentially of a polarizer and an analyzer, used for polarizing light, and analyzing its properties.

Of or pertaining to the polariscope; obtained by the use of a polariscope; as, polariscopic observations.

The art or rocess of making observations with the polariscope.

n; arising from, or dependent upon, the possession of poles or polar characteristics; as, polaristic antagonism.

A polariscope arranged to be attached to a telescope. Lockyer.

The part of a polariscope which receives the light after polarization, and exhibits its properties.

calcium carbonate, brought from Iceland, and used in certain optical instruments, as the polariscope. -- Rock crystal, or Mountain crystal, any transparent crystal of quartz, particularly of limpid or colorless quartz.

ty of calcite, the best of which is obtained in Iceland. It is used for the prisms of the polariscope, because of its strong double refraction. Cf. Calcite.

Exhibiting interference figures without the aid of a polariscope, as certain crystals.

pproaching slowly nearer to it. It is called also Cynosura, polestar, and by astronomers, Polaris.

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.

Polaris, or the north star. See North star, under North.