polarization: Meaning and Definition of

po•lar•i•za•tion

Pronunciation: (pō"lur-u-zā'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. a sharp division, as of a population or group, into opposing factions.
  2. a state, or the production of a state, in which rays of light or similar radiation exhibit different properties in different directions. Cf.
    1. the deposit of gases, produced during electrolysis, on the electrodes of a cell, increasing the resistance of the cell.
    2. a vector quantity indicating the electric dipole moment per unit of volume of a dielectric.
    3. the induction of polarity in a ferromagnetic substance.
  3. the production or acquisition of polarity.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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