bioluminescence

play

noun bio·lu·mi·nes·cence \ˌbī-ō-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-s^ən(t)s\

Definition of bioluminescence

: the emission of light from living organisms (such as fireflies, dinoflagellates, and bacteria) as the result of internal, typically oxidative chemical reactions; also : the light so produced

bioluminescent

play \-s^ənt\ adjective

Recent Examples of bioluminescence from the Web

Some even create their own light through bioluminescence.

— National Geographic, "‘Faceless’ Fish Seen for First Time in Over a Century", 2 June 2017
Bioluminescence is only visible on dark nights when the water is sufficiently warm, so tours do not operate in the week around a full moon and are only offered in summer months.

— bonnie gross, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Leave the camera behind on bioluminescent kayak trips by night", 31 May 2017
But be sure to return after dark, when the bioluminescence seems to make the plants come to life.

— marjie lambert, miamiherald, "World of ‘Avatar’ comes to life at Disney World and it doesn’t look like any garden you’ve seen", 30 May 2017
There’s a serious scientific purpose to Virgin Oceanic’s missions, Virgin says, with actual scientists lined up to make the most of these dives for their research into bottom-dwelling microbes, bioluminescence and seafloor geology.

— dylan tweney, WIRED, "Virgin’s Richard Branson Plans Deep-Sea Diving Venture", 5 Apr. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bioluminescence'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.