afterglow
[af-ter-gloh, ahf-]
- the glow frequently seen in the sky after sunset; afterlight.
- a second or secondary glow, as in heated metal before it ceases to become incandescent.
- the pleasant remembrance of a past experience, glory, etc.: She basked in the afterglow of her stage triumph.
- phosphorescence(def 3).
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Origin of afterglow
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for afterglow
Contemporary Examples
But he sorted that out, and for the rest of his long life, basked in the afterglow of the Kennedy White House.
Popped-cherry experiences were ranked in terms of "anxiety," "negativity," "connection," and even "afterglow."
If Anger Management is about the afterglow, Louie is about self-loathing.
In the twilight afterglow, talk of a new march on Wall Street swept the crowd.
In the afterglow of the Arab Spring, Randall Lane polls the region to see what has—and hasn't—changed.
Historical Examples
The sun had just set, and the whole expanse of water was aflame with the afterglow.
Victor's TriumphMrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth
Those dots prolong the effect of a word or sentence; they lend it an afterglow.
If Winter Don'tBarry Pain
It was about two o'clock, and the afterglow had moved around to the north-east.
The HuntressHulbert Footner
The sun had just set, and the western hemisphere was all aflame with the afterglow.
Her Mother's SecretEmma D. E. N. Southworth
Your experience proves how bright and long is the afterglow if it is only real.
Barbara Blomberg, CompleteGeorg Ebers
afterglow
- the glow left after a light has disappeared, such as that sometimes seen after sunset
- the glow of an incandescent metal after the source of heat has been removed
- physics luminescence persisting on the screen of a cathode-ray tube or in a gas-discharge tube after the power supply has been disconnected
- a trace, impression, etc, of past emotion, brilliance, etc
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for afterglow
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper