thermoluminescence

noun ther·mo·lu·mi·nes·cence \ ˌthər-mō-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s \

Definition of thermoluminescence

1 : phosphorescence developed in a previously excited substance upon gentle heating

2 : the determination of the age of old material (such as pottery) by the amount of thermoluminescence it produces — called also thermoluminescence dating

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thermoluminescent

play \ˌthər-mō-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊnt\ adjective

Recent Examples of thermoluminescence from the Web

Hublin and his colleagues used a method called thermoluminescence to calculate how much time had passed since the blades were burned.

— the new york times, Orange County Register, "Oldest fossils of Homo sapiens found in Morocco, altering history of our species," 7 June 2017
Potts also noted that in east Africa, dating the argon in volcanic ash is preferred over thermoluminescence (but there is no ash in Morocco to measure).

— ben guarino, The Denver Post, "Oldest Homo sapiens fossils discovered in Morocco," 7 June 2017
Dr. Hublin and his colleagues used a method called thermoluminescence to calculate how much time had passed since the blades were burned.

— carl zimmer, New York Times, "Oldest Fossils of Homo Sapiens Found in Morocco, Altering History of Our Species," 7 June 2017
This technique, known as thermoluminescence, told them that the tools were roughly 280,000 and 350,000 years old.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Scientists Have Found the Oldest Known Human Fossils," 7 June 2017

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