1. 
[syn: meniscus, semilunar cartilage]
2.  (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other; 
3.  (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube; 
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Meniscus \Me*nis"cus\, n.; pl. L. Menisci (-s[imac]), E.
   Meniscuses. [NL., from Gr. mhni`skos, dim. of mh`nh the
   moon.]
   1. A crescent.
      [1913 Webster]
   2. (Opt.) A lens convex on one side and concave on the other.
      [1913 Webster]
   3. (Anat.) An interarticular synovial cartilage or membrane;
      esp., one of the intervertebral synovial disks in some
      parts of the vertebral column of birds.
      [1913 Webster]
   Converging meniscus, Diverging meniscus. See Lens.
      [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
meniscus
    n 1: (anatomy) a disk of cartilage that serves as a cushion
         between the ends of bones that meet at a joint [syn:
         meniscus, semilunar cartilage]
    2: (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the
       other
    3: (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid
       in a vertical tube
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
36 Moby Thesaurus words for "meniscus":
   achromatic lens, astigmatic lens, burning glass, camera,
   coated lens, concave lens, concavo-convex lens, condenser,
   convex lens, crescent, crescent moon, eyeglass, eyepiece, glass,
   half-moon, hand lens, horseshoe, lens, lunula, lunule, magnifier,
   magnifying glass, object glass, objective, objective prism, ocular,
   prism, reader, reading glass, scythe, semicircle, sickle,
   telephoto lens, toric lens, varifocal lens, zoom lens