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
But that was impossible, for there was no illuminant of the nature nearer than Tilborough, the Denes being lit up by crystal oil.
From Sir Hilton's Sin by George Manville Fenn
When a substitute was needed for sperm oil, after almost numberless experiments, he showed that lard oil is the best illuminant, thereby saving the country over one hundred thousand dollars yearly, since 1865.
From Famous Men of Science by Sarah K. Bolton
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