neon

noun ne·on \ ˈnē-ˌän \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of neon

1 : a colorless odorless mostly inert gaseous element that is found in minute amounts in air and is used in electric lamps — see Chemical Elements Table

2 a : a discharge lamp in which the gas contains a large proportion of neon

b : a sign composed of such lamps

c : the illumination provided by such lamps or signs

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neoned

play \ˈnē-ˌänd\ adjective

See neon defined for English-language learners

See neon defined for kids

Recent Examples of neon from the Web

Design director Peter Hopkins told Fader magazine that the Nigerian team's confidence inspired him in his designs for the kit which has a bold neon green pattern that echoes the pattern of eagle wing feathers.

— stephanie busari, cnn and damilola odutayo, CNN, "It's official! Nigeria is the most stylish team at the World Cup," 13 June 2018
Australia Australia’s away jerseys are a deep green, with neon yellow and blue slashes across the front of the shirt, an homage to the 2006 team’s kits.

— kaitlyn schallhorn, Fox News, "World Cup teams debut colorful, throwback jerseys for the 2018 tournament," 13 June 2018
The fruit has a neon pink skin festooned with yellow tendrils that hide a stark white or magenta interior peppered with tiny, unobtrusive seeds.

— paul stephen, San Antonio Express-News, "Your guide to your store’s funky fruits: What’s good, how to eat them," 13 June 2018
Big splashy billboards, people ripping cables out of the back of their head, neon everything, cyborgs shooting guns at each other.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "Microsoft Xbox's E3 reveals: Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Gears 5, and 18 exclusives," 10 June 2018
With a neon theme, the paddock was transformed into an illuminated rainbow of colors with neon sculptures by local artists and laser light projections filling the walls of surrounding buildings.

— scott utterback, The Courier-Journal, "Downs After Dark adopts neon night theme at Churchill Downs," 3 June 2018
HeadCount spokesman Aaron Ghitelman said volunteers, who were dressed in neon yellow or neon green shirts, were coming back with 10 to 20 filled-out voter forms each.

— NBC News, "March For Our Lives pushes to expand the voter rolls across the country," 24 Mar. 2018
Their leader wears a necklace of animal bones and a neon pink-and-green striped mohawk.

— andrew webster, The Verge, "Bethesda teases Fallout 76 ahead of E3," 30 May 2018
The neon unis are miserable—two decades from now kids at music festivals will be wearing the jerseys.

— jonathan jones, SI.com, "Four More NFL Teams That Should Turn to Throwback Unis," 25 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of neon

borrowed from Greek néon, neuter of néos "young, fresh, new" — more at ¹new

Note: Name given to the gas by its discoverers, the British chemists William Ramsay (1852-1916) and Morris William Travers (1872-1961) in "On the Companion of Argon," Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, vol. 63 (1898), p. 438. According to a later account by Travers, the Latin name novum, "new," for the gas was suggested by William Ramsay's 13-year old son, and rendered in Greek by Ramsay to match the names of other recently discovered gases (see Morris W. Travers, The Discovery of the Rare Gases, London, 1928, p. 96).

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1898

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

neon

adjective

Definition of neon

1 : of, relating to, or using neon

2 : extremely bright : fluorescent

neon yellow

See neon defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of neon from the Web

While much of the collection clung to Mrs. West's famous frame, other pieces—slouchy neon orange tops, mock-necks, and cargo pants—offered new spins on prior seasons’ exaggerated unisex sizing.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner Continue to Roll Out Yeezy Season 7 for the Paparazzi," 14 June 2018
Finish your day job in the Loop's concrete jungle, then head out to the neon wilderness for a drink.

— bill savage, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Books / Booze / Food & Drink Can a Division Street cocktail bar truly capture the spirit of Nelson Algren?," 13 June 2018
Electrified fencing strung with strips of neon fabric, can keep wolves at bay in specific cases.

— kale williams, OregonLive.com, "As Oregon wolves rebound, tensions rise over livestock attacks," 10 June 2018
But those celebs are no longer chasin' that neon rainbow.

— tom roland, Billboard, "Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson & Other Artists Raise the Bar On Nashville Honky-Tonks," 7 June 2018
Police reviewed hours of surveillance footage and identified a black Dodge Magnum with a neon blue license plate light as the suspect vehicle, according to the news release.

— gabby ferreira, sacbee, "She was kidnapped waiting for a rideshare. Now CA police say they've caught the attackers," 4 June 2018
Some fans donned neon accessories while others went all in with glowing works of art created directly on the skin by henna artist JessiKay Graham.

— scott utterback, The Courier-Journal, "Downs After Dark adopts neon night theme at Churchill Downs," 3 June 2018
Here, attendees exchange hippie headbands for cowboy hats and gladiator sandals for boots and do-si-do under a neon moon to some of country's brightest stars.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "Everything You Need to Know Before Attending a Country Music Festival," 1 June 2018
Nonetheless, neon peach hair is glowing up on Instagram.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Neon Peach Hair Is the Brightest Color Trend of the Summer," 29 May 2018

First Known Use of neon

1904

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

NEON Defined for English Language Learners

neon

noun

Definition of neon for English Language Learners

: a type of gas that is used in brightly colored electric signs and lights

neon

adjective

Definition of neon for English Language Learners

: using neon
: extremely bright

NEON Defined for Kids

neon

noun ne·on \ ˈnē-ˌän \

Definition of neon for Students

: a colorless gaseous chemical element found in very small amounts in the air and used in electric lights

Medical Dictionary

neon

noun ne·on \ ˈnē-ˌän \

medical Definition of neon

: a colorless odorless primarily inert gaseous element found in minute amounts in air and used in electric lamps —symbol Ne — see Chemical Elements Table