photophore
noun
pho·to·phore
ˈfō-tə-ˌfȯr 
: a light-emitting organ
especially
: one of the luminous spots on various marine mostly deep-sea fishes
Examples of photophore in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though the undersea sighting may resolve the question of how the photophore works, other researchers wondered how the ram’s horn was able to hover vertically in the water column with the buoyant part of its body underneath it.
—
Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Nov. 2020
Then there’s the world’s smallest shark, the six-inch lanternshark, which advertises its own goods via photophores (or light-producing organs) clustered around its reproductive organs.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 2 May 2019
Researchers noticed a few differences between the two fish, including fewer vertebrae and numerous light-producing photophores that cover most of the body, the report says.
—Ricky Pinela, orlandosentinel.com, 19 July 2019
George Burgess of the Florida Museum of Natural History, who described both species, says their photophores, light-producing organs, are mainly located around their reproductive organs.
—National Geographic, 30 June 2018
Some species like the Leidys comb jelly have photophores inside the bell, or main body, Burgess says.
—National Geographic, 30 June 2018
Maybe the threadfin dragonfish, with its winning smile and luminous purple photophore, will unlock the next big technological innovation.
—Sonke Johnsen, National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2018
On their bodies, viper dogfish have little cells that produce light called photophores.
—Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2018
That's why bioluminescent creatures, including krill, squid, lanternfish, and dragonfish, create their own light chemically through organs called photophores.
—National Geographic, 17 June 2017
Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Nov. 2020
Then there’s the world’s smallest shark, the six-inch lanternshark, which advertises its own goods via photophores (or light-producing organs) clustered around its reproductive organs.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 2 May 2019
Researchers noticed a few differences between the two fish, including fewer vertebrae and numerous light-producing photophores that cover most of the body, the report says.
—Ricky Pinela, orlandosentinel.com, 19 July 2019
George Burgess of the Florida Museum of Natural History, who described both species, says their photophores, light-producing organs, are mainly located around their reproductive organs.
—National Geographic, 30 June 2018
Some species like the Leidys comb jelly have photophores inside the bell, or main body, Burgess says.
—National Geographic, 30 June 2018
Maybe the threadfin dragonfish, with its winning smile and luminous purple photophore, will unlock the next big technological innovation.
—Sonke Johnsen, National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2018
On their bodies, viper dogfish have little cells that produce light called photophores.
—Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, 11 Jan. 2018
That's why bioluminescent creatures, including krill, squid, lanternfish, and dragonfish, create their own light chemically through organs called photophores.
—National Geographic, 17 June 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'photophore.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near photophore
Cite this Entry
“Photophore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photophore. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share