Relating to light that is both reflected and refracted, combining the properties of mirrors and lenses.
From Greek 'kata' (down) + 'dia' (through) + 'optikos' (of sight), coined in 17th-century optics to describe systems using both reflection and refraction.
The most powerful telescopes use catadioptrical designs—they combine a curved mirror AND a lens to bend light in clever ways, which is why they can see farther and clearer than a simple telescope!
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