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cathodoluminescence

American  
[kath-uh-doh-loo-muh-nes-uhns] / ˌkæθ ə doʊˌlu məˈnɛs əns /

noun

  1. light emitted by a substance undergoing bombardment by cathode rays.

cathodoluminescence British  
/ ˌkæθədəʊˌluːmɪˈnɛsəns /

noun

  1. physics luminescence caused by irradiation with electrons (cathode rays)

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of cathodoluminescence

1905–10; cathode + -o- + luminescence

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Using tools such as electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence, the researchers confirmed that these grains had been exposed to conditions far more extreme than those produced by volcanic activity or early human fires.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

Images of zircon in cross section, as imaged by cathodoluminescence detector on a scanning electron microscope.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2011

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.