Although some sources treat the word "lidar" as an acronym,[1] the term originated as a portmanteau of "light" and "radar". The first published mention of lidar, in 1963, makes this clear: "Eventually the laser may provide an extremely sensitive detector of particular wavelengths from distant objects. Meanwhile, it is being used to study the moon by 'lidar' (light radar)..."[3] The Oxford English Dictionary supports this etymology.