Anamorphic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌænəˈmɔːfɪk/

Definitions

1. A type of optical distortion or lens design that compresses an image in one dimension, requiring specialized projection to restore normal proportions
2. A specific kind of visual distortion caused by using a lens that alters the aspect ratio, making the image appear elongated or compressed in one direction while needing correction for accurate viewing
3. This term refers to a technique in optics where images are distorted by a lens to alter their shape, which must be adjusted for proper representation in a viewing format

Etymology: Anamorphic belongs to the vocabulary of optics and photography, and its core is the word "anamorph," a distorted image that looks normal only when viewed from a particular angle or reflected in a curved mirror. The prefix "ana-" here means "back" or "again," so an anamorph is an image formed again, or re-formed, out of a deliberately warped shape. Its root "morph" comes from Greek "morphē," meaning "form" or "shape," the same element found in "metamorphosis." The adjective is simply "anamorph" plus the suffix "-ic," which English took through Latin "-icus" (itself from Greek "-ikos") and which turns a noun into a descriptive adjective, as in "optic" or "photographic." Its meaning is therefore "of or relating to an anamorph," and in photography it came to describe lenses that squeeze a wide image horizontally so it can be stretched back out on playback.