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Origin and history of stroboscope

stroboscope(n.)

"instrument for studying motion by periodic light," 1896, with -scope + Greek strobos "a whorl, a twisting, act of whirling" (see strobo-). Earlier the word was used as the name of a similar device used as a "scientific toy" [OED]. Related: Stroboscopic (1846).

The phenakistoscope and zoëtrope represent one form of stroboscope. [Century Dictionary]

also from 1896

Entries linking to stroboscope

strabismus(n.)

"a squinting of the eyes," 1680s, medical Latin, from Greek strabismos, from strabizein "to squint," which is from strabos "squinting, squint-eyed," a word related to strobos "a whirling round" (traditionally from PIE root *streb(h)- "to wind, turn," but compare stroboscope). Earlier in Englished form strabism (1650s) and before that in medical writing as strabosite (early 15c., Chauliac). Related: Strabismal; strabismic; strabismical.

strobe(n.)

1942 as a shortening of stroboscope. As a shortened form of strobe light (or lamp), from 1949. As an adjective from 1942, short for stroboscopic.

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light
"brightness, radiant energy, that which makes things visible," Old English leht (Anglian), leoht (West Saxon), "light, daylight; spiritual illumination," from Proto-Germanic *leukhtam (source also of Old Saxon lioht, Old Frisian liacht, Middle Dutch lucht, Dutch licht, Old High G
patent
late 14c., "open letter or official document from some authority granting permission to do something; a licence granting an office, right, title, etc.," shortened from Anglo-French lettre patent (also in Medieval Latin litteræ patentes), literally "open letter" (late 13c.), from
liberal
mid-14c., "generous," also "nobly born, noble, free;" from late 14c. as "selfless, magnanimous, admirable;" from early 15c. in a bad sense, "extravagant, unrestrained," from Old French liberal "befitting free people; noble, generous; willing, zealous" (12c.), and directly from La
oxygen
gaseous chemical element, 1790, from French oxygène, coined in 1777 by French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794), from Greek oxys "sharp, acid" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + French -gène "something that produces" (from Greek -genēs "f
riffraff
also riff-raff, late 15c., "persons of disreputable character or low degree," from earlier rif and raf (Anglo-French rif et raf) "one and all, everybody; every scrap, everything," also "sweepings, refuse, things of small value" (mid-14c.), from Old French rif et raf, from rifler
proportion
late 14c., proporcioun, "due relation of one part to another," also "size, extent; comparative relation of one thing to another in size, degree, number, etc.," from Old French proporcion "measure, proportion" (13c.) and directly from Latin proportionem (nominative proportio) "com
prosper
mid-14c., prosperen, "be successful, thrive, advance in any good thing," from Old French prosperer (14c.) and directly from Latin prosperare "cause to succeed, render happy," from prosperus "favorable, fortunate, prosperous" (source also of Spanish and Italian prospero). This is
subsequent
"following next in order or time, later," mid-15c., from Old French subsequent (14c.) and directly from Latin subsequentem (nominative subsequens), present participle of subsequi "come after in time, follow closely," figuratively "imitate, conform to," from sub "closely, up to" (
marry
c. 1300, marien, of parents or superiors, "to give (offspring) in marriage," also intransitive, "to enter into the conjugal state, take a husband or wife," from Old French marier "to get married; to marry off, give in marriage; to bring together in marriage," from Latin marītāre
constellation
early 14c., constellacioun, "position of a planet in the zodiac;" late 14c., "one of the recognized star patterns handed down from antiquity" (in the zodiac or not), from Old French constellacion "constellation, conjuncture (of planets)" and directly from Late Latin constellation

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