Haidinger brushes
Also found in: Medical.
Haidinger brushes
[′hī·diŋ·ər ‚brəsh·əz] (optics)
Faint yellow, brushlike patterns that are observed when a bright surface is viewed through a polarizer such as a rotating Nicol prism or sheet of Polaroid film; believed to be caused by birefringence of fibers at the fovea of the eye.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.