coudé telescope

[ koo-dey ]

noun
  1. a telescope in which light from the primary mirror is reflected along the polar axis to additional mirrors, and in which the focus (coudé focus ) is independent of the telescope's motion, permitting the use of heavy instruments without disturbing the delicate balance of the telescope.

Origin of coudé telescope

1
1920–25; <French coudé bent, elbowed, past participle of couder to bend, verbal derivative of coude elbow ≪ Latin cubituscubit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024