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I am writing a paper on telescopes and I am finding that there are many instances when I am talking on a relatively abstract level and I need to refer to a material that might be a lens but could also be a mirror.

For example:

The first thing that the light hits is referred to as the primary lens/mirror.

I am looking for a single word that could replace 'lens/mirror' or 'refractor/reflector'. Does this term exist?

I thought medium, but I don't really think a reflector would count as a medium and also, the air itself would fall into that category, which I don't want.

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  • Plane, surface, or object.
    – Ian MacDonald
    Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 15:56
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    "light-bending component" - a mouthful, but that's the term used in this Wikipedia page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_telescope_parts_and_construction
    – amdn
    Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 15:59
  • @IanMacDonald Isn't a lens more than a plane though, and again, it is more than a surface. Got anything more specific than object?
    – Luke
    Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 16:00
  • The object itself may have a thickness, but the first thing the light hits is the surface of this object, or the plane of incidence.
    – Ian MacDonald
    Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 16:04
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    "optical element" is the term used in this Wikipedia page to describe lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, diffraction gratings, etc. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_optical_element
    – amdn
    Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 16:14

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I am not aware of any definite term in English for this. However, you can coin a term for your use. For example:

In the following discussion, I will refer to mirrors, lenses, and similar devices as optical elements.

From then on, you can say:

In a reflector telescope, the captured light first interact with the primary optical element, which then directs the light to the second optical element.

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