A property of certain materials that splits light into two different wavelengths or polarizations. In such materials, light travelling in different directions or polarization states is absorbed differently. Polaroid is an example of a dichroic material and tourmaline of a dichroic crystal. Dichroism also occurs in liquid crystals. Linear dichroism (LD), sometimes called diattenuation, is a property of a material in which there is a difference between the absorption of light that is polarized parallel to the axis of orientation and light that is polarized perpendicular to this axis. Linear dichroism is used to study molecules of biological interest such as DNA. See also circular dichroism; pleochroic; polarization.