Lenticulaire

Lenticulaire is an adjective in French that means lens-shaped or relating to a lens. It derives from lentille, the French word for the optical lens. The term is used across several domains to describe objects, structures or phenomena that have a lens-like form.

In optics and imaging, lenticulaire commonly appears in reference to microlens arrays and to the printing technique known as impression lenticulaire. This method uses a sheet of microlenses to create depth, parallax or simple animation in a single image, producing three-dimensional or motion effects when viewed from different angles.

In meteorology, lenticulaire describes clouds with a distinctive lens-like shape, typically forming when stable, moist air flows over mountains. These lenticular clouds are usually stationary relative to the terrain and can resemble flying saucers or elongated lenses.

In geology and sedimentology, lenticulaire is used to characterize lens-shaped bodies or layers embedded within a rock or sediment. Such lenticular features can occur when different materials accumulate or consolidate in localized, lens-shaped pockets, often contrasting in coloration or texture with the surrounding matrix.

The term can also appear in descriptions of architectural or artistic forms where a lens-like cross-section or profile is present, though this usage is less common than in optics, meteorology and geology.

In sum, lenticulaire denotes anything lens-shaped or composed of lens-shaped elements, spanning disciplines from science and engineering to natural phenomena.