irradiate
- to shed rays of light upon; illuminate.
- to illumine intellectually or spiritually.
- to brighten as if with light.
- to radiate (light, illumination, etc.).
- to heat with radiant energy.
- to treat by exposure to radiation, as of ultraviolet light.
- to expose to radiation.
- Archaic.
- to emit rays; shine.
- to become radiant.
- irradiated; bright.
Origin of irradiate
Examples from the Web for irradiate
Historical Examples of irradiate
Was it a reflection of that which should continue to irradiate it?
A Veldt VendettaBertram Mitford
The glory of the greatest of her children will for ever irradiate her and the whole world.
Victor Hugo: His Life and WorksG. Barnett Smith
At that quite a new gleam seemed to irradiate his good-looking clay.
The Story of LouieOliver Onions
Deeper than tears, these irradiate the tophets with their glad heavens.
TabletsAmos Bronson Alcott
The target may be any substance that the physicist or chemist wants to irradiate.
LRL AcceleratorsLawrence Radiation Laboratory
irradiate
- (tr) physics to subject to or treat with light or other electromagnetic radiation or with beams of particles
- (tr) to expose (food) to electromagnetic radiation to kill bacteria and retard deterioration
- (tr) to make clear or bright intellectually or spiritually; illumine
- a less common word for radiate (def. 1)
- (intr) obsolete to become radiant
Word Origin and History for irradiate
c.1600, "to cast beams of light upon," from Latin irradiatus, past participle of irradiare "shine forth," from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (see in- (2)) + radiare "to shine" (see radiate). Meaning "expose to radiation other than light" (originally X-rays) is from 1901. Related: Irradiated; irradiating.
irradiate
(ĭ-rā′dē-āt′)- To expose to radiation, as for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
- To treat with radiation.
- To apply radiation to a structure or organism.
irradiate
- To expose to or treat with radiation. For example, meat sold as food is often irradiated with x-rays or other radiation to kill bacteria; uranium 238 can be irradiated with neutrons to create fissionable plutonium 239.