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actinism

[ ak-tuh-niz-uh m ]

/ ˈæk təˌnɪz əm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR actinism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the property of radiation by which chemical effects are produced.

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Origin of actinism

First recorded in 1835–45; actin- + -ism

Words nearby actinism

actinic ray, actinide, actinide series, actiniform, actinin, actinism, actinium, actinium series, actino-, actinobacillosis, actinobacillus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for actinism

The third constituent of the sunbeam is actinism—its property being to produce chemical effects.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. V|Various
Experiments clearly prove that this change is to be attributed to actinism, and not to heat.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. V|Various
An instrument for registering the intensity of the chemical influence (actinism) of the suns rays.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
As yet, the effects of actinism have been more studied in the inanimate than the organic creation.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. V|Various

Actinism, ak′tin-izm, n. the chemical force of the sun's rays, as distinct from light and heat.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

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