Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The emission of light that does not derive energy from the temperature of the emitting body, as in phosphorescence, fluorescence, and bioluminescence. Luminescence is caused by chemical, biochemical, or crystallographic changes, the motions of subatomic particles, or radiation-induced excitation of an atomic system.
- noun The light so emitted.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun See the quotation.
- noun The emission of light from causes other than that which produces incandescence.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Physics) Any emission of light not ascribable directly to incandescence, and therefore occurring at low temperatures, as in phosphorescence and fluorescence or other luminous radiation resulting from vital processes, chemical action, friction, solution, or the influence of light or of ultraviolet or cathode rays, etc.
- noun The faculty or power of producing light by biological processes, as in the firefly and glowworm. Also called
bioluminescence . - noun The light produced by biological or biochemical processes. Also called
bioluminescence .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun physics Any
emission oflight that cannot be attributed merely to thetemperature of the emitting body.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun light not due to incandescence; occurs at low temperatures
- noun light from nonthermal sources
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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By 1978, we had achieved a general understanding of the aequorin luminescence reaction.
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The color, light refraction and luminescence is also very important.
Eye For Details? 2009
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I already knew that the aequorin luminescence was caused by an intramolecular reaction that takes place in the protein molecule, which would be difficult to study.
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The color, light refraction and luminescence is also very important.
Eye For Details? 2009
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The unusual combination of familiar faces, and the unnerving sight of desolate domains viewed in night-vision luminescence is perfect for enjoying as the countdown to Halloween nears.
Ghost Hunting with VH1: the Celebrity Paranormal Project 2006
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This illusion of luminescence is achieved not only through the reflectivity, but through changes in the skin tone:
Archive 2006-11-01 2006
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Archaeologists used a technique called luminescence dating to show when the early settlers arrived.
New Discoveries Suggest Earlier Settlement of Americans 2011
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The tools were dated using optically stimulated luminescence, which is able to date the sand grains on top of the tools and determine when they were last exposed to light, explained
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The tools were dated using optically stimulated luminescence, which is able to date the sand grains on top of the tools and determine when they were last exposed to light, explained
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In a technique called luminescence resonance energy transfer, two proteins in a cell are labeled with differently colored, luminescent molecules that absorb light of one color and give it off as another color.
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