neon

noun ne·on \ ˈnē-ˌän \

Updated on: 11 Apr 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

—

neoned

play \ˈnē-ˌänd\ adjective

See neon defined for English-language learners

See neon defined for kids

Recent Examples of neon from the Web

In some distant neon noir in the stars, Billy Bane used to be somebody -- specifically a prophet.

— will nevin, OregonLive.com, "TBT #33: Sci-fi 'Wasted Space' and WWE, 'Rugrats' anthology specials coming to comics," 3 Apr. 2018
Don’t call Gemini a neo-noir—call it a neon-noir, a moody little slice of pulp fiction that ends up satisfying the eyes more than the mind.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Gemini Is a Low-Key L.A. Murder Mystery," 30 Mar. 2018
The crowds, sporting neon sunglasses and chic statement hats, pulled up e-tickets on iPhones.

— beth spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle, "Overly branded brunch leaves some diners cold," 27 Mar. 2018
Just in time for beach season, Bare Republic has even launched fun neon sunscreen sticks ($8.99) with SPF 50 that stays water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.

— perri ormont blumberg, Southern Living, "WATCH: What Should You Put on First: Sunscreen or Moisturizer?," 26 Mar. 2018
Windows covered in neon lights feature characters from the game.

— jay jones, latimes.com, "America's first pop-up Pac-Man cafe opens in Honolulu. Hurry, it won't last long," 23 Mar. 2018
Tie on jigs in chartreuse, orange and white, with twister tails ranging from neon green to watermelon flake.

— d'arcy egan, cleveland.com, "Fishing Report for March 23: Wet, warm weather a boost for river anglers," 23 Mar. 2018
The almost two hundred works on offer span from the 1930s through the 1980s and include everything from collectible robots to chairs by Pierre Paulin to a neon installation modeled on Gisele Bündchen, crafted by de Betak himself.

— morgan sykes, The Cut, "Inside the Private Art Auction of a Parisian Set Designer," 22 Mar. 2018
The students, outfitted in neon green belts, are collecting loose change in empty milk jugs, each plastered with a photo of Jackson, Principal Tina Langdon or Assistant Principal Tracey Gustafson.

— beth kassab, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Active shooter drills, pie-in-the-face all part of life as school resource officer," 16 Mar. 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

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

Others have compared Zank's neon creation to Nickelodeon's iconic color scheme and the Crunchy Flamin' Hot Limón Cheetos.

— devon abelman, Allure, "This Viral Neon Eye Makeup Is Being Mistaken for an Instagram Filter," 28 Mar. 2018
In celebration of the album’s due date, which is April 6, Cardi also dropped the retro album cover art, featuring the femcee in a neon orange wig and a black and white ensemble.

— jessica mckinney, Billboard, "Cardi B Partners With Tinder For 'Swipe Off' Competition," 28 Mar. 2018
The vision for Zot Artz, Szot’s company, was in full effect as kids and teens, some in wheelchairs and some not, stamped and rolled neon designs onto the paper canvas, creating a collaborative mural.

— caitlin granfield, miamiherald, "Zot Artz helps kids of all abilities create art on a massive scale at Frost FIU museum | Miami Herald," 26 Mar. 2018
Exposed pipes, dozens of different kinds of light fixtures, a neon DINER sign over the frantic kitchen (despite no strong diner theme anywhere else): check, check, check.

— kate washington, sacbee, "Punch Bowl Social takes ‘eatertainment’ to a whole new level | The Sacramento Bee," 23 Mar. 2018
The walls were covered in neon marker, including the girls’ plan, deadline, and goals by the hour.

— samantha j. gross, BostonGlobe.com, "Hackathon organization hosts girls-only event," 24 Mar. 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
Red flamingo flowers and neon blue sticks echo a surreal portrait of a woman by Salvador Dalí.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "A San Francisco Art Museum Tackles Art’s Instagram Dilemma," 22 Mar. 2018
Expect to see a lot more neon leopard print at the next Britney concert.

— ana colon, Glamour, "Britney Spears Landed a Kenzo Campaign, as Icons Do," 20 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of neon

1904

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