Kirlian photography

noun

Kir·​li·​an photography ˈkir-lē-ən- How to pronounce Kirlian photography (audio)
: a process in which an image is obtained by application of a high-frequency electric field to an object so that it radiates a characteristic pattern of luminescence that is recorded on photographic film
Kirlian photograph noun

Examples of Kirlian photography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Someone came in with a Kirlian photography machine, which produced something like aura photography. Julia Halperin, New York Times, 16 May 2024 The technique used to capture this electrical flow is called Kirlian photography, named after the Russian electrical engineer Semyon Kirlian who discovered that if an object on a photographic plate is connected to a high-voltage source, an image is produced on the photographic plate. Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2013

Word History

Etymology

Semën D. Kirlian †1978 and Valentina Kh. Kirlian †1971 Soviet inventors

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kirlian photography was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near Kirlian photography

Cite this Entry

“Kirlian photography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kirlian%20photography. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

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