infrared

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adjective in·fra·red \ˌin-frə-ˈred, -(ˌ)frä-, -fə-\

Definition of infrared

1 : situated outside the visible spectrum at its red end —used of radiation having a wavelength between about 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter
2 : relating to, producing, or employing infrared radiation infrared therapy
3 : sensitive to infrared radiation infrared sensors that detect body heat

infrared

noun

See infrared defined for English-language learners

See infrared defined for kids

Recent Examples of infrared from the Web

Some time later, the Bosch group — readying a 500-year-anniversary exhibit in the artist’s hometown of Den Bosch, Netherlands — requested high-resolution and infrared images of the painting.

— david frese, kansascity, "Rare Bosch painting, just one of five in U.S., finally on display at the Nelson", 28 June 2017
Hilton Lewis Hilton Lewis is director of the W. M. Keck Observatory on the Island of Hawaii, home to the world's two largest optical/infrared telescopes.

— hilton lewis, Scientific American Blog Network, "In Memoriam: Jerry Nelson, Legendary Telescope Designer", 16 June 2017
Thatte serves asprincipal investigator of HAROMNI, a visible and near-infrared instrument that will be designed to snap thousands of images at once, each in a different color.

— dyllan furness, Fox News, "Massive telescope will let us gaze deeper into the galaxy than ever before", 1 June 2017
According to HigherDOSE, infrared sweat is not just any old sweat.

— kelly conaboy, The Atlantic, "Infrared Saunas Will Not 'Detoxify' You", 1 June 2017
Infrared footage shows the collision between the missile and the interceptor.

— CBS News, "New Pentagon video shows dramatic missile intercept in Pacific", 31 May 2017
And sunscreen researchers are beginning to investigate if the absorption of other colors of light, like infrared, by skin molecules has a role to play in photodamage.

— kerry hanson, Smithsonian, "How Sunscreen Protects Your Skin’s DNA", 31 May 2017
The technology, which uses near-infrared light to detect the shape of objects around it, is the centerpiece of an intense court fight in California between Uber and Waymo, the self-driving business operated by Google’s parent, Alphabet.

— john r. quain, The Seattle Times, "Tech rivals race to develop the sensors that let self-driving cars see", 28 May 2017
One of the daily intelligence updates notes plans to obtain night-vision goggles, LRADs, body armor, and FLIR (forward looking infrared) cameras.

— alice speri, The Intercept, "Leaked Documents Reveal Counterterrorism Tactics Used at Standing Rock to “Defeat Pipeline Insurgencies”", 27 May 2017

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

First Known Use of infrared

1881

INFRARED Defined for English Language Learners

infrared

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adjective

Definition of infrared for English Language Learners

: producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light

INFRARED Defined for Kids

infrared

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adjective in·fra·red \ˌin-frə-ˈred\

Definition of infrared for Students

: being, relating to, or producing rays like light but lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end

Medical Dictionary

infrared

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adjective in·fra·red \ˌin-frə-ˈred\

Medical Definition of infrared

1: lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end—used of radiation having a wavelength between about 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter
2: relating to, producing, or employing infrared radiation infrared therapy