1. make (rays of light or particles) accurately parallel: "the caesium atoms are collimated into a narrow beam"
▪ accurately set the alignment of (an optical or other system):"manuals give detailed instructions for collimating the optics"
Word Originmid 19th century: from Latin collimare, an erroneous reading (in some editions of Cicero) of collineare ‘align or aim’, from col- ‘together with’ + linea ‘line’.