chemiluminescence
(in chemical reactions) the emission of light by an atom or molecule that is in an excited state.
Origin of chemiluminescence
1Other words from chemiluminescence
- chem·i·lu·mi·nes·cent, adjective
Words Nearby chemiluminescence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use chemiluminescence in a sentence
Moreover, as we have seen, chemiluminescence is essentially an oxyluminescence, since oxygen is necessary for the reaction.
The Nature of Animal Light | E. Newton Harvey
British Dictionary definitions for chemiluminescence
/ (ˌkɛmɪˌluːmɪˈnɛsəns) /
the phenomenon in which a chemical reaction leads to the emission of light without incandescence
Derived forms of chemiluminescence
- chemiluminescent, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for chemiluminescence
[ kĕm′ə-lōō′mə-nĕs′əns ]
The emission of light by a substance as a result of undergoing a chemical reaction that does not involve an increase in its temperature. Chemiluminescence usually occurs when a highly oxidized molecule, such as a peroxide, reacts with another molecule. The bond between the two oxygen atoms in a peroxide is relatively weak, and when it breaks the atoms must reorganize themselves, releasing energy in the form of light. Compare bioluminescence.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse