luminescence

lu·mi·nes·cence | \ ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s

Definition of luminescence

: the low-temperature emission of light (as by a chemical or physiological process) also : light produced by luminescence

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Examples of luminescence in a Sentence

the luminescence of the watch we could see inside the cave even without a flashlight because of the luminescence coming from some of the fungus on the walls

Recent Examples on the Web His team dated that site to about 16,000 years ago by optical luminescence, a method with larger error bars than radiocarbon dating. — Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, "First people in the Americas came by sea, ancient tools unearthed by Idaho river suggest," 29 Aug. 2019 The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasted off at 6:13 a.m. Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center and quickly cut through Florida’s black sky in a brilliant display of light-blue luminescence. — Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, "’I just saw the weirdest thing,’ spectators across Florida marvel, tweet about ULA Atlas V rocket launch," 8 Aug. 2019 Resounding and joyful, the rich complexity of its sound evokes the luminescence of Leonardo’s paintings—a musical sfumato with soft edges and lingering tones. — Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, "Why Leonardo da Vinci’s brilliance endures, 500 years after his death," 12 June 2019 Perhaps coelenterazine had another function besides luminescence? — Quanta Magazine, "In the Deep, Clues to How Life Makes Light," 1 Dec. 2016 For instance, in 2009, conservationists at the British museum found traces on several Parthenon figures of Egyptian blue, one of the earliest known pigments, using techniques like infrared luminescence to examine the sculptures. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Those painted sculptures in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey are true to history," 23 Oct. 2018 Spawning females start to secrete their bright blue-green luminescence to attract males. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "These Tiny Fireworms Light up to Make Love," 11 Aug. 2018 The luminescence is converted to digital code with a low-power luminometer chip, and the signal is transmitted wirelessly to an external receiving device. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "This capsule of glowing E. coli will probe your gut for signs of trouble," 25 May 2018 The age of the sediments around the bones was calculated using optically stimulated luminescence—a technique that reveals the last time rocks and sand were exposed to sunlight. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Rare 85,000-year-old Finger May Complicate Our Understanding of African Migration," 10 Apr. 2018

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

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The first known use of luminescence was in 1889

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More Definitions for luminescence

luminescence

noun

English Language Learners Definition of luminescence

technical : the creation of light by processes that do not involve heat also : the light created

See the full definition for luminescence in the English Language Learners Dictionary

luminescence

noun

lu·mi·nes·cence | \ ˌlü-mə-ˈnes-ᵊn(t)s

Medical Definition of luminescence

: the low-temperature emission of light produced especially by physiological processes (as in the firefly), by chemical action, by friction, or by electrical action also : light produced by luminescence