polarizationn.
/ˌpəʊlərʌɪˈzeɪʃn/, U.S. /ˈˌpoʊlərəˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/, /ˈˌpoʊləˌraɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ I. Scientific uses.† 4. Biology. = polarity n. 6a. Obsolete. rare.
1. Physics.
a. The action of polarizing light or other electromagnetic radiation; the property of being polarized; the extent or direction of this.axis of polarization, plane polarization: see the first element.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > light > polarization > [noun]
polarization1812
polarizing1813
1812 Jrnl. Nat. Philos. 33 Suppl. 345 By giving to these sides [of the ray] the name of poles, Malus has given the name of polarisation, to that modification which imparts properties to light, which are relative to these poles.
1814 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 104 188 A ray of light transmitted through a plate of agate cut by planes perpendicular to the laminæ of which it is composed suffers polarisation like one of the pencils formed by double refraction.
1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 946/2 Analogous phenomena to those of the polarization of light have been found to belong also to radiant heat.
1879 O. N. Rood Mod. Chromatics iv. 50 A long-lived soap bubble displays every colour which can be produced by polarization.
1929 Physical Rev. 33 760 (heading) A test for polarization of electron waves by reflection.
1936 Wireless World 16 Oct. 396/3 Although one would expect a slight departure from vertical polarisation of the received waves in this location, a vertical aerial was found to be 6 to 10 db. better than a horizontal.
1962 G. S. H. Lock Introd. Stress Anal. (Draughtsmen's & Allied Technicians' Assoc.) ii. 23 H1 and H2 are half-wave plates which enable the plane of polarisation of the beam to be altered.
1999 P. Anderson Operation Luna vii. 55 The reason werecritters were traditionally believed to be nightgangers was that..only a full or nearly full moon gives the combination of polarizations, strong enough, necessary to trigger the hormones.
b. Optical activity, esp. of a sugar solution.
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the world > matter > chemistry > isomerism > [noun] > stereo-isomerism > optical isomerism > optical rotation > ability to produce
polarization1845
optical activity1877
1845 Mem. & Proc. Chem. Soc. London 1843–5 2 29 I shall explain..what is meant by the deviation or rotation of the rays of polarized light when transmitted through fluids said to possess circular polarization.
1862 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. 15 308 An experiment made..while examining the circular polarization of camphoric acid.
1912 C. A. Browne Handbk. Sugar Anal. ix. 236 The reading multiplied by 1·3 gives the polarization (degrees Ventzke) of the sugar cane.
1935 Economist 20 Apr. 906/2 Raw sugar of 97° polarisation..pays a duty of 8s. 43/ 10d. per cwt.
1963 D. Becker in P. Honig Princ. Sugar Technol. III. ix. 455 In contrast to raw cane sugars, raw beet sugars for refining cannot be definitely characterized and graded by stating the polarization alone.
c. Measurement of the optical activity of a sugar solution.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > light > polarization > [noun] > analysis of > in sugar solution
polarization1905
1905 G. W. Rolfe Polariscope 96 Polarizations made at average room temperature by the standard commercial methods give with requisite accuracy the per cent of sucrose in the sample.
1945 A. L. Winton & K. B. Winton Anal. of Foods 640/1 Addition of solid sodium carbonate to slight alkaline reaction after the immediate polarization..destroys the mutarotation without changing the dilution.
1973 Encycl. Industr. Chem. Anal. XVIII. 345 Direct polarization of the sugar solution or polarization before and after hydrolysis are commonly used assay methods.
2. Physics.
a. The production of an opposite electromotive force at the electrodes of an electrolytic cell owing to the presence of the products of decomposition of the liquid, producing an apparent increase of the resistance in the circuit.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > galvanism, voltaism > [noun] > accumulation of ions
polarization1839
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > galvanism, voltaism > [noun] > polarization
polarization1839
1839 W. R. Grove in London & Edinb. Philos. Mag. Aug. 82 It occurred to me that the inaction of amalgamated zinc was the effect of polarization. [Note] I know of no other word to express the effect here alluded to; the word is used in this sense by most French writers, but, from its numerous applications, is sadly inaccurate.
1873 J. C. Maxwell Treat. Electr. & Magnetism I. 318 When an electric current is passed through an electrolyte bounded by metal electrodes, the accumulation of the ions at the electrodes produces the phenomenon called Polarization.
1933 S. W. Cole Pract. Physiol. Chem. (ed. 9) i. 41 The potential difference between two hydrogen electrodes cannot be measured by means of an ordinary voltmeter, as a current would flow through the system, chemical changes would take place at both poles, and owing to this ‘polarization’ of the electrodes, the E.M.F. would change.
1978 P. W. Atkins Physical Chem. xxv. 819 The use of a.c. eliminates the net reaction, for what polarization occurs as current flows in one half of the cycle is undone when the current flows in the opposite direction during the subsequent half.
b. The action or result of inducing electric or magnetic polarity; spec. the partial separation of positive and negative electric charge produced in a dielectric by an electric field (expressed by a vector quantity equal to the electric dipole moment per unit volume of the dielectric). Also: a similar separation produced in an individual atom or molecule.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electric polarization > [noun]
polarity1808
polarization1866
constraint1881
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > magnetism > magnetic devices or materials > [noun] > pole of magnet > polarization
polarizing1813
polarization1866
1866 R. M. Ferguson Electricity 53 The pail was thus subjected to polarisation.
1885 H. W. Watson & S. H. Burbury Math. Theory Electr. & Magn. I. 254 All electrical phenomena within S, which in the ordinary theory are due to the action of E2, are on the polarisation hypothesis deducible from the given polarisation.
1916 F. B. Pidduck Treat. Electr. iii. 93 The total electric moment of an element of volume dτ of a dielectric near the point (x, y, z) has components Pxdτ, Pydτ, Pzdτ, where the vector P(Px, Py, Pz) is called the polarization at the point.
1935 J. Dougall tr. M. Born Atomic Physics viii. 230 The polarization P is connected with Maxwell's displacement vector D by the relation D = E + 4πP; on the other hand, by definition, D = εE, where ε is the dielectric constant.
1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) IV. 111/2 The dielectric constant of a material depends on its polarization in an applied field.
1973 P. C. Clemmow Introd. Electromagn. Theory vi. 232 P and M..represent, respectively, electric and magnetic dipole moment densities. P is called the (electric) polarization, and M the magnetization or magnetic polarization.
1991 E. A. V. Ebsworth et al. Struct. Methods Inorg. Chem. (BNC) (ed. 2) 178 The interaction comes about through the polarization of the electron cloud of the molecule by the oscillating electric vector of the incident quantum.
3. Physics.† a. The arrangement of molecules, etc., in a definite direction. Obsolete.
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the world > matter > chemistry > chemical structure or stereochemistry > [noun] > polarization
polarization1846
1846 W. R. Grove On Correlation Physical Forces 21 Exceptions..explicable by other interfering dynamic causes, such, possibly, as crystalline polarization, leaving interstitial spaces.
b. A partial or complete alignment of the spin axes of subatomic particles; the direction or extent of this.
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the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > electron spin > [noun] > spin polarization
polarization1928
spin polarization1966
1928 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 118 675 It will..suffice to treat of only one type of polarisation and we shall take that corresponding to z.
1956 Rev. Mod. Physics 28 279/1 We shall speak of transverse polarization of an electron beam if the direction of the spin is perpendicular to the momentum, of longitudinal polarization if the spin is parallel or antiparallel to the momentum.
1963 K. Nishijima Fund. Particles vii. 380 Hyperon polarization is transverse rather than longitudinal unless parity is violated in production.
2001 P. Anton et al. Global Technol. Revolution ii. 26 The core innovation in this work is the use of quantum effects, such as spin polarization of electrons, to determine the state of individual switches.
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the world > life > biology > physical aspects or shapes > specific areas or structures > [noun] > end or pole > polarity
polarity1848
polarization1894
1894 J. Loeb Biol. Lect. 43 Likewise, there are animals every piece of which produces, at either end, that organ toward which it was directed in the normal condition. We may speak in such cases of polarization.
II. figurative.
5. The accentuation of a difference between two things or groups; division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of beliefs or opinions; an instance of this.
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the world > relative properties > relationship > contrariety or contrast > [noun] > polarity
polarity1818
polarization1862
1862 D. Masson in Macmillan's Mag. Dec. 87/2 That wretched polarization of our whole national thought, since 1688, into the two antagonistic currents of common Whiggism and common Toryism.
1920 D. H. Lawrence Women in Love xvi. 221 The process of singling into individuality resulted into the great polarisation of sex.
1945 A. Koestler Yogi & Commissar ii. v. 117 False polarizations and national splits which merely reflect latent conflicts.
1964 T. B. Bottomore Elites & Soc. ii. 19 The development of capitalism brings about a more radical polarization of classes than has existed in any other type of society.
1972 M. L. Samuels Linguistic Evol. iii. 39 Further phonetic divergence (‘polarisation’ of the existing difference) to /k/ and /tʃ/.
1992 J. L. Esposito Islamic Threat iv. 93 NIF members and sympathizers hold important positions in government, contributing to the further polarization of Sudanese society.
6. The giving of an arbitrary direction or a special meaning to one's thinking.
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1851 F. Palgrave Hist. Normandy & Eng. I. 172 It appears impossible to correct the perceptions of the sinner, in whom a moral polarization of light has taken place—the black looks couleur-de-rose.]
1871 H. B. Forman Our Living Poets 6 The process of ‘translating to our purposes’ words already current, by giving them a new and special shade of meaning—a process best characterised as the polarisation of language.
1900 F. H. Stoddard Evol. Eng. Novel 108 It is not history; it is rather the romantic polarization of history.
1921 Times Dec. 23 3/2 Were they [sc. the Irish] going to..avoid that polarization of mind antagonistic to the English people into which they had been forced at the present time?
1989 Profession (Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer.) 7/1 It may be based on the type of..theory whose very possibility seems obviated by the polarization of thought..into more or less random association (or even paralogy).
7. British. Banking and Finance. The regulation stipulating that a financial adviser or broker can either offer totally independent advice, or else represent one particular organization's products, but must not do both.This principle was formally laid down in the Financial Services Act of 1986.
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1986 Financial Times 22 Apr. 8/6 Polarisation must therefore be seen as a radical development and as creating a fundamentally new context for the detailed rules relating to the marketing of life assurance and unit trusts.
1997 R. Cranston Princ. Banking Law iii. 29 The controversial polarization rules of the SFA and IMRO are designed to ensure that private customers..are not confused about the capacity in which the bank is acting.
2005 Money Managem. (Nexis) 1 June, After 16 years..the end of the polarisation regime has come. After years of saying that consumers did not understand polarisation and could not tell the difference between an independent and a tied adviser, the industry can now begin to complain that they will not understand the changes.
Compounds
polarization charge n. the charge that appears on the surface of a dielectric when it is polarized in a direction not parallel to the surface.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > transmission of electricity, conduction > non-conduction, insulation > [noun] > displacement > charge during
polarization charge1919
1919 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 96 347 It depends expressly on the postulate that all electric current is convection of charge. The inclusion of polarisation-charges would require special treatment.
1975 I. S. Grant & W. R. Phillips Electromagnetism ii. 53 Polarization charges induced on the surface of a dielectric material make a contribution to the macroscopic electric field inside the material.
polarization force n.
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1881 Times 24 Nov. 10/6 While currents were being used to separate the zinc from its solution, that was all the while tending to reunite... It was in overcoming this polarization force that the work of storage was done.
1995 Science 14 Apr. 181/1 Hu et al...have adapted an atomic force microscope by charging its tip and measuring the polarization forces induced in the surface layer with the tip at a small distance.
polarization microscope n. = polarizing microscope n. at polarizing adj. Compounds.
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the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > optical instruments > magnification or magnifying instruments > [noun] > microscope > combined with other instruments
microspectroscope1867
polarization microscope1870
apertometer1880
1870 Rep. U.S. Commissioners Paris Universal Expos. 1867 Index 46 Hoffman's polarization microscope.
2000 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 4458/2 Selected samples were examined as well in a polarization microscope.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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