photic

[ foh-tik ]

adjective

of or relating to light.
pertaining to the generation of light by organisms, or their excitation by means of light.

Origin of photic

1835–45; <Greek phōt- (see phot) + -ic

Words Nearby photic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use photic in a sentence

In these cases the photic stimulus produces partly chemical and partly mechanical changes.
The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel
The latent period of photic reaction is shortened with the increasing intensity of light.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919 | Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
I reproduce below two records of the effects of continuous photic and electric stimulation.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919 | Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
The tropic curve under geotropic stimulus is similar to that under photic stimulus.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919 | Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
I shall describe a device which gives a continuous record of photic variation for the whole day.
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II, 1919 | Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

British Dictionary definitions for photic

photic

/ (ˈfəʊtɪk) /

adjective

of or concerned with light
biology of or relating to the production of light by organisms

Also: photobathic designating the zone of the sea where photosynthesis takes place

Origin of photic

C19: from photo- + -ic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for photic

photic

[ fō′tĭk ]

Of or relating to light.
Penetrated by or receiving light.

Relating to the layer of a body of water that is penetrated by sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis. The depth of the photic zone is dependent on the clarity of the water and the amount and intensity of direct sunlight, although it does not usually exceed 200 m. Also called euphotic Compare aphotic.

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