any of a number of substances that exhibit luminescence when struck by light of certain wavelengths, as by ultraviolet.
Literary. a phosphorescent substance.
Any of various substances that can emit light after absorbing some form of radiation. Television screens and fluorescent lamp tubes are coated on the inside with phosphors.
See Note at cathode-ray tube
1625–35; < French phosphore < Latin Phōsphorus Phosphor
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin Phōsphorus, from Greek Phōsphóros “the morning star,” literally, “the light-bringing one,” equivalent to phôs “light” + -phoros “bringing”; see -phorous
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This process of phosphor down-conversion, however, has limitations.
From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2024
“The materials that are normally used to make the phosphor are extremely stable,” he says.
From Scientific American • Sep. 27, 2023
A byproduct of private and industrial food consumption and processing, sludge and compost can replace some of the nitrogen and phosphor from synthetic fertilizers.
From Salon • Sep. 29, 2022
For example, he says, CMI developed a red phosphor for fluorescent lighting that does not require rare europium.
From Science Magazine • Aug. 11, 2021
The very idea of a color broadcast was so implausible that Alvarez secreted a small magnet in his pocket to verify that the picture was actually produced by electrons striking a phosphor screen.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
