infrared radiation

Cultural

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.)

Discover More

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

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.

Such clouds could block infrared radiation coming from hotter layers below, making the atmosphere appear cooler than it actually is.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

Their high temperatures allow them to emit detectable infrared radiation.

From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 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 addition to giving off optical and X-ray bursts, TDEs can generate infrared radiation, particularly in "dusty" galaxies, where a central black hole is enshrouded with galactic debris.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

Rattlesnakes and doped semiconductors detect infrared radiation perfectly well.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023