- An apparatus in which the images of external objects, formed by a convex lens or a concave mirror, are thrown on a paper or other white surface placed in the focus of the lens or mirror within a darkened chamber or box, so that the outlines may be traced.
- An apparatus in which the image of an external object or objects is, by means of lenses, thrown upon a sensitized plate or surface placed at the back of an extensible darkened box or chamber variously modified; -- commonly called simply the camera.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). camera obscura. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/camera_obscura/definitions/1984102 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "camera obscura" http://smartdefine.org/camera_obscura/definitions/1984102 (accessed September 28, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, camera obscura, Smart Define, viewed 28 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/camera_obscura/definitions/1984102>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "camera obscura" 27 May 2011. Web. 28 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/camera_obscura/definitions/1984102> |