confocal

[ kon-foh-kuhl ]

adjective

, Mathematics.

1. having the same focus or foci.

confocal

/ kɒnˈfəʊkəl /

adjective

1. having a common focus or common foci

   confocal ellipses

Word History and Origins

Origin of confocal¹

First recorded in 1865–70; con- + focal

Example Sentences

The winning image, stitched together from hundreds of images taken over two days with a confocal microscope, was crafted by University of Geneva researchers Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch.

From Science News

Two ellipsoids in which the principal sections lie in the same planes, and have the same foci, are called confocal.

From Project Gutenberg