1. plural of birefringence; the optical property of a material in which light travels at different speeds depending on its polarization direction and path through the material, causing the material to split light into two rays.
Usage: technical; physics; optics

Examples

• Calcite crystals exhibit strong birefringences that make them useful in optical instruments.
• The birefringences of different minerals can be measured to identify them under a microscope.
• Polarizing filters exploit the birefringences of certain materials to control light waves.
• Scientists study the birefringences in stressed glass to understand material properties.
• The birefringences observed in quartz crystals demonstrate the anisotropic nature of the material.