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infrared radiation

Cultural  
  1. Invisible radiation in the part of the electromagnetic spectrum characterized by wavelengths just longer than those of ordinary visible red light and shorter than those of microwaves or radio waves. (Compare ultraviolet radiation.)


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The heat we feel from a glowing coal or an incandescent light bulb is from infrared rays.

Example Sentences

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An asteroid absorbs sunlight and later releases that energy as infrared radiation.

From Science Daily Jul. 18, 2026

These glasses reduce visible sunlight to safe and comfortable levels and block all but a tiny fraction of solar UV and infrared radiation, according to the American Astronomical Society.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 4, 2024

In the future for instance, the Duke team's work might help others engineer nanotubes that detect heat released as infrared radiation, to reveal people or vehicles hidden in the shadows.

From Science Daily Mar. 12, 2024

But at ultracold temperatures, gases do not give off infrared radiation.

From Science Daily Feb. 8, 2024

Rattlesnakes and doped semiconductors detect infrared radiation perfectly well.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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