a curved piece of glass or plastic that bends light so that it forms a clear image
The photographer changed the lens to take a close-up shot of the flower.
Without her glasses, the scratched lens made everything look blurry.
✦ Borrowed from Latin "lens" meaning "lentil," because early glass lenses were shaped like lentil seeds.
a particular way of thinking about or looking at something
When we study history through the lens of economics, we notice different patterns.
Teachers often view behavior through the lens of child development.
✦ Figurative use developed in the 1700s, extending the physical idea of a lens focusing light to the mental act of focusing thought.
to film or photograph something with a camera
The director chose to lens the movie on location in the desert.
A drone was used to lens sweeping aerial shots of the city.
✦ Verb use arose in the early 20th century U.S. film industry as a shorthand for "to use a camera lens."
a narrow valley, especially in Scotland.
The hikers discovered a beautiful glen filled with wildflowers.
Sheep graze peacefully in the green glen near the village.
✦ From Scottish Gaelic 'gleann', meaning 'valley', entering English in the Middle Ages.
a male given name.
My uncle's name is Glen.
Glen plays guitar in the band.
✦ Often derived from Scottish place names meaning 'valley'.
