radiation

[rey-dee-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. Physics.

   1. the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves.

   2. the complete process in which energy is emitted by one body, transmitted through an intervening medium or space, and absorbed by another body.

   3. the energy transferred by these processes.

2. the act or process of radiating.

3. something that is radiated.

4. radial arrangement of parts.

radiation

/ ˌreɪdɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. physics

   1. the emission or transfer of radiant energy as particles, electromagnetic waves, sound, etc

   2. the particles, etc, emitted, esp the particles and gamma rays emitted in nuclear decay

2. Also called: radiation therapy. med treatment using a radioactive substance

3. anatomy a group of nerve fibres that diverge from their common source

4. See adaptive radiation

5. the act, state, or process of radiating or being radiated

6. surveying the fixing of points around a central plane table by using an alidade and measuring tape

radiation

1. 1. Streams of photons, electrons, small nuclei, or other particles. Radiation is given off by a wide variety of processes, such as thermal activity, nuclear reactions (as in fission), and by radioactive decay.

   2. The emission or movement of such particles through space or a medium, such as air.

2. The use of such energy, especially x-rays, in medical diagnosis and treatment.

radiation

1. Energy sent out in the form of particles or waves. (See alpha radiation, beta radiation, blackbody, cosmic rays, electromagnetic radiation, fluorescence, gamma radiation, photon, and quanta.)

Other Word Forms

• radiational adjective
• antiradiation adjective
• interradiation noun
• nonradiation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of radiation¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin radiātiōn-, stem of radiātiō “beam, gleam, shine”; equivalent to radiate + -ion

Example Sentences

A recent event involving an A320 aircraft revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls, the company said Friday.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Airbus has requested immediate modifications to thousands of aircraft after discovering that intense radiation from the sun could corrupt data crucial to flight controls.

Read more on BBC

They then used a gentle pre-transplant preparation involving immune-targeting antibodies and low-dose radiation, followed by a transplant of blood stem cells and islet cells from an unrelated donor, to restore blood sugar control.

Read more on Science Daily

"We anticipated that the combined stresses of space, including vacuum, cosmic radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and microgravity, would cause far greater damage than any single stress alone," says Fujita.

Read more on Science Daily

The report said the UK has excessively risk-averse policies in place, including "overly conservative" rules on radiation exposure levels for workers.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• emission