irradiation
Americannoun
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the act of irradiating.
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the state of being irradiated.
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intellectual or spiritual enlightenment.
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a ray of light; beam.
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Optics. the apparent enlargement of an object when seen against a dark background.
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the use of x-rays or other forms of radiation for the treatment of disease, the making of x-ray photographs, the manufacture of vitamin D, etc.
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exposure or the process of exposure to x-rays or other radiation.
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Physics. irradiance.
noun
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the act or process of irradiating or the state of being irradiated
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the apparent enlargement of a brightly lit object when it is viewed against a dark background
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a shaft of light; beam or ray
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med
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the therapeutic or diagnostic use of radiation, esp X-rays
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exposure of a patient to such radiation
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another name for radiation irradiance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irradiation
First recorded in 1580–90, irradiation is from the Late Latin word irradiātiōn- (stem of irradiātiō ). See ir- 1, radiation
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.
Researchers are using controlled, low-dose gamma irradiation on plant tissues to induce stable genetic mutations.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
In south India, there is exactly one irradiation center, in Bengaluru, creating a bottleneck every spring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
He even visited a nuclear research facility in India to learn more about the irradiation process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Their work also incorporates a technique called hot-wire laser irradiation.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2026
First direct irradiation of a patient, November 20, 1939.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
