luminescent

American  

[loo-muh-nes-uhnt] / ˌlu məˈnɛs ənt /

adjective

1. emitting light that is not caused by incandescence and that occurs at a temperature below that of incandescent bodies.

   The luminescent watch hands glow 100 times brighter than those on standard watches, allowing wearers to read the time in complete darkness.

2. glowing or shining, or producing an impression of light; lustrous; radiant.

   Her gloriously luminescent voice, described by the New York Times as "hauntingly clear," evokes other-worldly sounds wafting from a mountaintop convent.

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Other Word Forms

• nonluminescent
  adjective
• unluminescent
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of luminescent

First recorded in 1855–60; from Latin lūmin-, stem of lūmen “light” + -escent ( def. )

Explanation

Luminescent things glow with light. The illuminated screens of your laptop and TV are both luminescent. Things that glow in the dark, like the reflective safety strip on your dog's leash or the numbers on your alarm clock, are luminescent. Other luminescent things include light bulbs, the stars in the night sky, glow worms, and certain glowing jellyfish and other sea creatures. When a living thing is luminescent, it's a phenomenon called bioluminescence. The Latin root of both words is lumen, meaning "light."

Example Sentences

Luminescent bits of matter, like inanimate fireflies, filled the air.

From The New Yorker • May 11, 2015

Luminescent gigantism in earrings has reached the stage where girls are turning themselves into Yule trees, dangling oversize baubles, including some with flashlight batteries that turn on and off.

From Time Magazine Archive

Luminescent pigments outline the instruments in the lightless cabins of all night-flying U.S. bombers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Luminescent Santa ties, cheap drugstore perfumes and fuzzy bunny slippers--these are the last refuge of the desperate holiday shopper, destined for the New Year's trash heap or some forgotten corner of the attic.

From Time Magazine Archive