Main Entry: ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cence

Pronunciation: \-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-s^ən(t)s\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary

Date: 1897

1 : phosphorescence developed in a previously excited substance upon gentle heating
2 : the determination of the age of old material (as pottery) by the amount of thermoluminescence it produces —called also thermoluminescence dating

— ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cent \-s^ənt\ adjective