noctilucent

[ nok-tuh-loo-suhnt ]

adjectiveMeteorology.
  1. (of high-altitude clouds) visible during the short night of the summer.

Origin of noctilucent

1
First recorded in 1885–90; nocti- + lucent

Other words from noctilucent

  • noc·ti·lu·cence, noun

Words Nearby noctilucent

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How to use noctilucent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for noctilucent

noctilucent

/ (ˌnɒktɪˈluːsənt) /


adjective
  1. shining at night, usu. of very thin high altitude clouds observable in the summer twilight sky

Derived forms of noctilucent

  • noctilucence, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for noctilucent

noctilucent

[ nŏk′tə-lōōsənt ]


  1. Luminous at night. The term is used especially to describe certain high atmospheric cloud formations visible during summer nights at high latitudes.

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