illuminant
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of illuminant
1635–45; < Latin illūminant- (stem of illūmināns ) present participle of illūmināre to light up, brighten, equivalent to illūmin- ( see illumine) + -ant- -ant
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.
Then Yale chemist Benjamin Silliman Jr. showed how crude oil could be fractionated into various liquids, one of which was kerosene, an excellent illuminant that was much cheaper than whale oil.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
A fixture even more than a star, either way an illuminant.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2021
Kerosene was the dominant illuminant fuel for a few decades between the decline of whale oil and the rise of electricity.
From Forbes ● Oct. 21, 2011
Nevertheless, the electric light is the illuminant to be coveted.
From The Turkish Bath Its Design and Construction by Robert Owen Allsop
In the course of this experimental study special attention was devoted to the heating effects produced by these currents, which are not only striking, but open up the possibility of producing a more efficient illuminant.
From The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting by Thomas Commerford Martin
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.
