greenhouse effect

American  

[green-hous i-fekt] / ˈgrinˌhaʊs ɪˈfɛkt /

noun

greenhouse effects plural

1. Often the greenhouse effect a phenomenon in which carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and other gases in a planet's atmosphere absorb infrared radiation from the sun and reradiate it through the atmosphere, heating the planet: increased levels of carbon dioxide and other gases cause more of this heating radiation to be trapped on the planet and circulated through the atmosphere, contributing to a corresponding increase in the planet's overall temperature.

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greenhouse effect British  

noun

1. an effect occurring in greenhouses, etc, in which radiant heat from the sun passes through the glass warming the contents, the radiant heat from inside being trapped by the glass

2. the application of this effect to a planet's atmosphere; carbon dioxide and some other gases in the planet's atmosphere can absorb the infrared radiation emitted by the planet's surface as a result of exposure to solar radiation, thus increasing the mean temperature of the planet

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greenhouse effect Scientific  

/ grēn′hous′ /

1. The retention of part of the Sun's energy in the Earth's atmosphere in the form of heat as a result of the presence of greenhouse gases. Solar energy, mostly in the form of short-wavelength visible radiation, penetrates the atmosphere and is absorbed by the Earth's surface. The heated surface then radiates some of that energy into the atmosphere in the form of longer-wavelength infrared radiation. Although some of this radiation escapes into space, much of it is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere, which in turn re-radiate a portion back to the Earth's surface. The atmosphere thus acts in a manner roughly analagous to the glass in a greenhouse, which allows sunlight to penetrate and warm the plants and soil but which traps most of the resulting heat energy inside. The greenhouse effect is essential to life on Earth; however, the intensification of its effect due to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is considered to be the main contributing factor to global warming.

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greenhouse effect Cultural  

1. A term used to describe the heating of the atmosphere owing to the presence of carbon dioxide and other gas es. Without the presence of these gases, heat from the sun would return to space in the form of infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide and other gases absorb some of this radiation and prevent its release, thereby warming the Earth. This is an effect analogous to what happens in a greenhouse, where glass traps the infrared radiation and warms the air.

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Discover More

The burning of fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and therefore places the Earth at risk from an increase of this effect.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• greenhouse effects
  plural

Etymology

Origin of greenhouse effect

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

By examining where evidence already exists and where gaps remain, the authors identify a largely unrecognized greenhouse effect linked to microplastics.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026

The sharp uplift of volume on Centre Court, accentuated by the greenhouse effect of the covered roof, indicated the home fans believed as much as Raducanu did.

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2025

Venus, the second planet from our Sun, vividly demonstrates why the greenhouse effect makes life impossible.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2024

One theory holds that, eons ago, several apocalyptic eruptions set off a runaway greenhouse effect on Venus, turning it from a temperate, waterlogged world into an arid desert of burned glass.

From New York Times • May 27, 2024

In addition to war and crime and cruelty, we have to worry about environmental problems—about pollution, the growing hole in the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, and global warming.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

• abuse
• corruption
• deterioration
• infection