dark adaptation

noun

Ophthalmology.

1. the reflex adaptation of the eye to dim light, consisting of a dilatation of the pupil and an increase in the number of functioning rods accompanied by a decrease in the number of functioning cones (light adaptation ).

Other Word Forms

• dark-adapted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dark adaptation¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

A phone is portable light pollution, however: It can take 30 minutes to regain dark adaptation after a peek at the screen.

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Mowgli So everyone wanted a dark adaptation of The Jungle Book, right?

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The environment channeled an eerie underground bunker, with models emerging from the shadows, all a dark adaptation of Wang’s industrial-cool aesthetic.

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Other factors in aging vision may also play a role in driving ability, including perception of color and brightness, slower light and dark adaptation and slower visual processing in general.

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To come now to the sense of sight, we have light adaptation, dark adaptation, and color adaptation.

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