luminesce
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Etymology
Origin of luminesce
First recorded in 1895–1900; back formation from luminescent ( def. )
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.
In 1969, scientists discovered that all metals luminesce to some degree, but the intervening years failed to yield a clear understanding of how this occurs.
From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024
The squid produces the luminescent luciferase enzyme, so bacteria living outside the squid do not luminesce.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The ability to luminesce does not benefit free-living bacteria, so free-living bacteria do not produce luciferase.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
These animals and habitats look more realistic than those at other light shows because of their sculpted forms — you could almost mistake them for the real thing, if not for their luminesce.
From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2021
On the dark side, the meteorites cannot luminesce because of the�240�F. cold; instead, they absorb the energy of the protons.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
