neon

noun

ne·on | \ˈnē-ˌän

Definition of neon

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

neon

adjective

Definition of neon (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or using neon

2 : extremely bright : fluorescent neon yellow

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Examples of neon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

There were a couple one-liners, the hostiles had crazy hair colors, and there were streaks of neon in the environments. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Rage 2 at E3: Doom’s punk rock sibling feels great to play," 17 June 2018 The dream of big hair and manscara will be alive and kicking this summer thanks to some of the most beloved MTV 1.0 bands pulling on their neon best for the Lost 80's Live Tour. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, "A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Men Without Hats, Gene Loves Jezebel & More on 'Lost 80's Live' Tour," 11 Jan. 2018 To continue reading this story, TRY IT NOW The restaurants also double as a lively spot to grab a margarita or a bucket of beer, with a friendly, attentive staff who works under the constant glow of neon signage. — Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, "52 Weeks of BBQ: Big Lou’s Burgers & BBQ," 22 June 2018 The hotel glows with natural light in the day, thanks to liberal use of glass bricks, and sweeping neon at night. — Vincent Crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Volusia County: A streamlined history of the 'The Birthplace of NASCAR'," 6 May 2018 But for Gigi Hadid, a Mediterranean holiday is simply another excuse to step outside the beauty box—this time with a striking application of neon pink at eye level. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Rules the Beach in the Riskiest Neon Makeup Shade Yet," 2 July 2018 Sitting at the bar of The Breslin, the restaurant tucked into New York’s Ace Hotel, is an old man wearing glasses, a turtleneck, and, improbably, a pair of fashionable Valentino sneakers, camouflage with neon-pink splotches. — Cam Wolf, GQ, "How UpscaleHype Became Menswear’s Most Important Instagram Account," 26 Apr. 2018 This time around, Blue was the spitting image of her superstar mom, styling her whole outfit to match her mama's neon pink onstage ensemble. — Megan Decker, Harper's BAZAAR, "Blue Ivy Was Adorably Twinning With Beyoncé at Coachella," 23 Apr. 2018 Another pile of tires — yellow and white this time and topped with a neon pink Fenty X Puma logo — provided the perfect backdrop for RiRi's arrival. — Adam Tschorn, latimes.com, "Riding Coachella's coattails: Dior, Moschino, Fenty X Puma and Levi Strauss decamp to the desert to build buzz," 18 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The neon beauty look, while rampant on fall runways, is the antithesis of top-model polish. — Kate Branch, Vogue, "This DJ Sister Act Is the Only Beauty Inspiration You Need This Summer," 12 July 2018 Simmons recently posted a video on his Instagram story of a hand with neon orange nails rubbing his Nike sneakers. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons Were Spotted Cozying Up Together on the 4th of July," 5 July 2018 The party kicks off at 7:45 p.m., meaning glow sticks and neon body paint will light the way through your downtown course. — Carly Graf, Outside Online, "10 Fun Runs to Sign Up for This Summer," 22 May 2018 Even in Las Vegas, a scorching sea of neon signs and strange creatures, his never-ending arms draw gawks. — San Antonio Express-News, "The Bamba Project is still in early stages," 11 July 2018 An unidentified teenager has been accused of breaking the front window and historic neon sign of New York’s Stonewall Inn, a popular landmark in the LGBTQ community. — Jajuan M. Morris-guity, Fox News, "Stonewall Inn window and neon sign vandalized, officials say not a hate crime," 10 July 2018 From there, electrodes are attached to both ends to create a neon sign. — Jessica Christian, SFChronicle.com, "Glass bender melds art, science to create and restore neon signs," 9 July 2018 Inside patrons will notice a sports bar feel with at least six large television sets, wooden floors, wooden tables, a bar and neon signs. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Docks Bar and Grill in Wauconda," 6 July 2018 The warning signs — the bright, flashing, neon warning signs — materialized early for Tommy Chang, and some part of him seemed to know it. — Adrian Walker, BostonGlobe.com, "Another BPS superintendent has come and gone. Now what?," 1 July 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.

History and Etymology for neon

Noun

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

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).

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Last Updated

8 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for neon

The first known use of neon was in 1898

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More Definitions for neon

neon

noun

English Language Learners Definition of neon

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

neon

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of neon (Entry 2 of 2)

: using neon

: extremely bright

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

neon

noun

ne·on | \ˈnē-ˌän

Kids Definition of neon

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

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