scintillation
noun
scin·til·la·tion
ˌsin-tə-ˈlā-shən 
1
: an act or instance of scintillating
especially
: rapid changes in the brightness of a celestial body
2
a
: a spark or flash emitted in scintillating
b
: a flash of light produced in a phosphor by an ionizing event
3
: a brilliant outburst (as of wit)
4
: a flash of the eye
Examples of scintillation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For me, the apotheosis of grandeur and scintillation was Northbrook Court in the 1980s.
—
David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
This seems rather an understatement to your correspondent., for the style, substance, silhouettes and scintillation of Anaïs C. jewels embody an earthly yet mystical mix of sustainably sourced, precious gemstones inside of primal jewelry forms.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
The researchers applied measurements of scintillation to determine the relative size of the region from where the FRB appeared.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation
NASA.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
Scattering can also cause a random brightening/dimming of different areas of the spectrum, called scintillation, and somewhat analogous to the twinkling of stars caused by our atmosphere.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
The scintillation pattern indicates that the interstellar material of the source galaxy is acting a bit like a lens that is resolving the event.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
More scintillation means an origin in the turbulent magnetic environment around the neutron star; no observed scintillation would mean an origin further from the neutron star, favoring the shockwave theory.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Germanium semiconductor detectors, radioactive cesium concentration detectors, sodium iodide scintillation spectrometers and more scan the produce for any signs of radioactivity.
—Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024
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David Petitti, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
This seems rather an understatement to your correspondent., for the style, substance, silhouettes and scintillation of Anaïs C. jewels embody an earthly yet mystical mix of sustainably sourced, precious gemstones inside of primal jewelry forms.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
The researchers applied measurements of scintillation to determine the relative size of the region from where the FRB appeared.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
Magnetospheric origin of a fast radio burst constrained using scintillation
NASA.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
Scattering can also cause a random brightening/dimming of different areas of the spectrum, called scintillation, and somewhat analogous to the twinkling of stars caused by our atmosphere.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
The scintillation pattern indicates that the interstellar material of the source galaxy is acting a bit like a lens that is resolving the event.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
More scintillation means an origin in the turbulent magnetic environment around the neutron star; no observed scintillation would mean an origin further from the neutron star, favoring the shockwave theory.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Germanium semiconductor detectors, radioactive cesium concentration detectors, sodium iodide scintillation spectrometers and more scan the produce for any signs of radioactivity.
—Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Scintillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scintillation. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
scintillation
noun
scin·til·la·tion
ˌsint-ᵊl-ˈā-shən
often attributive
: a flash of light produced in a phosphor by an ionizing event
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