Stereograph

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that generates three-dimensional effects by presenting two slightly different images for each eye
2. An instrument that creates an illusion of depth by displaying a pair of images designed for stereoscopic vision
3. A mechanism showing two offset pictures that merge for each eye to create a perception of depth

Etymology: "Stereograph" is built from two Greek elements. "Stereo-" comes from Greek "stereos," meaning solid or firm, and "-graph" comes from "graphein," to write or draw. Put together, the word describes a drawing or picture that conveys solidity, which is exactly what the device does: two offset images, one seen by each eye, fuse in the brain into a single picture with apparent depth. The sense of the word is therefore a literal one, not a metaphor. Where "stereo" in modern English usually refers to sound, this older formation keeps its original sense of three-dimensionality, the same root that gives "stereoscope" and "stereoscopic." The two words share a sense of solidity but differ in the element joined to it: "stereograph" names the picture pair itself, while "stereoscope" names the viewing instrument.

Synonyms: stereoscope, 3D viewer