fluorescent

American  

[floo-res-uhnt, flaw-, floh-] / flʊˈrɛs ənt, flɔ-, floʊ- /

adjective

1. possessing the property of fluorescence; exhibiting fluorescence.

2. strikingly bright, vivid, or glowing.

   plastic toys in fluorescent colors.

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noun

1. a lighting fixture that utilizes a fluorescent lamp.

Other Word Forms

• nonfluorescent adjective
• unfluorescent adjective

Etymology

Origin of fluorescent

First recorded in 1850–55; fluor- + -escent

Example Sentences

Even the flickering fluorescent light didn’t irritate him very much.

From Literature

Then the displays of fluorescent minerals and antique music boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal

These changes allowed the researchers to swap tail fiber genes to change which bacteria the phage could infect and to add fluorescent markers that made infections visible in real time.

From Science Daily

At once, Boaz’s eyes rolled back, with only the whites visible, and the fluorescents began to flicker.

From Literature

Imagine this: The cheerful, if slightly scolding voices of the self-checkout machines punctuate the steady hum of fluorescent lights.

From Salon

Related Words

• bright
• luminous
• rich
• shiny
• sunny