maser

noun

ma·​ser ˈmā-zər How to pronounce maser (audio)
: a device or object that emits coherent microwave radiation produced by the natural oscillations of atoms or molecules between energy levels

Examples of maser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Townes’s work on the maser led to the laser—after a sabbatical in Europe and Japan and a few years researching the ammonia beam and solid-state masers. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2015 Enlarge Marvel Studios Enlarge / Dr. Charles H. Townes, inventor of the maser, a key component of atomic clocks, illustrates the differences between it and a standard clock. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023 The maser and laser were by no means the sole focus of Townes’s career. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2015 One source is very long baseline interferometry which picks up radio signals from masers —stars that emit microwaves. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2023 Ye and co include the position of almost 24,000 of these with a similar accuracy to masers. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2023 But few of us have encountered the laser’s cold war–era relative, the maser, which produces concentrated beams of microwaves. Fangfei Shen, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2013 The resulting maser is smaller than a pineapple. Fangfei Shen, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2013 This is the light that forms the maser. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 26 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maser.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of maser was in 1955

Dictionary Entries Near maser

Cite this Entry

“Maser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maser. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

maser

noun
ma·​ser ˈmā-zər How to pronounce maser (audio)
: a device that uses the natural vibrations of atoms or molecules for generating electromagnetic radiation at a single microwave frequency

Medical Definition

maser

noun
ma·​ser ˈmā-zər How to pronounce maser (audio)
: a device that utilizes the natural oscillations of atoms or molecules between energy levels for generating electromagnetic radiation in the microwave region of the spectrum

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