pencil of rays
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
All the rays that issue from one point or can be formed at one point; so called because a representation of them has the appearance of a pointed pencil.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “pencil of rays” mean?
All the rays that issue from one point or can be formed at one point; so called because a representation of them has the appearance of a pointed pencil.
Is “pencil of rays” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.