[ad. med.L. transpārēnti-a (Du Cange), f. transpārēnt-em: see next and -ENCY.]
1. The quality or condition of being transparent; perviousness to light; diaphaneity, pellucidity.
Thermal transparency, perviousness to heat rays; diathermancy; cf. TRANSPARENT 1 b.
1615. H. Crooke, Body of Man, 556. It is like a thinne and pollished horne of a Lanthorn, not only in transparencie by which meanes it receiueth the light, but also in his substance.
1651–3. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, I. xviii. 238. His wife may, by seeing the beauties and transparency of that Crystall, dresse her minde and her body by the light of so pure reflexions.
1705. Addison, Italy, 26. The Clearness and Transparency of the Stream.
1750. trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 36. A stone with a transparency, or a kind of brightness.
1830. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., 141. Between transparency and opacity there would at first sight appear a direct opposition.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea (Low), vi. § 313. The atmosphere is transparency itself.
1900. Jrnl. Soc. Dyers, XVI. 7. The particles retain their form and transparency.
fig. 1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., II. i. Written in its child-like transparency.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, v. The transparency of his talk … gave a charm even to his weaknesses.
2. That which is transparent; a transparent object or medium.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., III. xvi. To make transparencies to meete in one And so convey the sunne-beames where you will.
1784. Cowper, Task, V. 151. A watery light Gleamed through the clear transparency.
b. spec. A picture, print, inscription, or device on some translucent substance, made visible by means of a light behind.
1807. E. Orme (title), Essay on Transparent Prints, and on Transparencies in general.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 2. A mode of painting ‘transparencies’ as they would now be called, on linen.
attrib. 1855. W. Williams (title), Transparency painting on linen for decorative purposes.
c. A photograph or picture on glass or other transparent substance, intended to be seen by transmitted light. Also attrib.
1874. Corbet, Venus at Isle of Desolation, 104 (Cassell). I took transparencies of the little photos, he took of my station.
1885. C. G. W. Lock, Workshop Receipts, Ser. IV. 357/2. A negative or transparency is not fully developed much under 15 minutes.
1892. Photogr. Ann., II. 576. Various transparency printing frames.
1897. J. Nicol, in Outing (U.S.), XXX. 496/2. The transparency plate and negative are placed in the printing frame exactly as in printing on paper.
† 3. Her. An outline figure, or the shadow of a charge, without the charge itself, painted the same color as the field, but of a darker tint: = ADUMBRATION 4. Obs.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. iii. 42. Adumbration or Transparency is a cleere exemption of the substance of the Charge … in such sort, as that there remaineth nothing thereof to be discerned, but the … bare proportion of the outward lineaments thereof. Ibid., vii. 65. The Orle … is an Ordinarie composed of a threefold line duplicated, admitting a Transparancie of the field, thorowout the … space therein enclosed.
1725. Coats, Dict. Her., s.v. Adumbration, Some term such Adumbration, Transparency.
4. A burlesque translation of the German title of address Durchlaucht: cf. SERENITY 4.
1844. Thackeray, B. Lyndon, ix. Hobnobbing … with lovely excellencies, nay, with highnesses and transparencies themselves. Ibid. Pippi … had kept back a note of hand ‘her High Transparency’ gave us. Ibid. (1848), Van. Fair, lxii. His Transparency the Duke and his Transparent family … come and occupy the great box in the middle.
1895. Westm. Gaz., Feb., 2/1. During the sojourn of grand transparencies Beneath your Derbyshire roof.
