# prism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɪz(ə)m/ · frequency rank #16,311

## Definitions
1. A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
2. A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
3. A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
4. A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
5. A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same polygonal shape and size, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.
6. A retroreflector (“device which reflects light back to its source with minimal scattering”) which is usually attached to a surveying pole as a target for a total station which emits a light beam at the device and calculates how long it takes to be reflected back in order to measure distance.
7. A perspective that colours one's perception.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin prisma (“(geometry) prism”), from Ancient Greek πρίσμᾰ (prísmă, “anything sawn; sawdust; (Koine, geometry) prism”), from πρῐ́ζω (prĭ́zō) (a variant of πρῑ́ω (prī́ō, “to saw”), further etymology unknown) + -μᾰ (-mă, suffix forming neuter nouns denoting the effect or result of an action, etc.).

## Easily confused with
- **PRS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prs)
- **pros** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-pros)
- **prom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prom)
- **prize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prize)
- **prose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prose)
- **privy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-privy)
- **Prius** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prius)
- **Priya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-priya)
- **prison** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prison)
- **purist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-purist)
- **piss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piss-vs-prism)
- **pres** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pres-vs-prism)
- **prem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prem-vs-prism)
- **Pisa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pisa-vs-prism)
- **prim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prim-vs-prism)
- **pram** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pram-vs-prism)
- **price** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/price-vs-prism)
- **press** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/press-vs-prism)
- **prior** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prior-vs-prism)
- **Paris** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paris-vs-prism)

## Common misspellings (8)
`pirsm`, `pprism`, `prims`, `prismm`, `prissm`, `prrism`, `prsim`, `rpism`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prism