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scintillate

[ sin-tl-eyt ]
/ ˈsɪn tlˌeɪt /
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See synonyms for: scintillate / scintillating on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), scin·til·lat·ed, scin·til·lat·ing.
to emit sparks.
to sparkle; flash: a mind that scintillates with brilliance.
to twinkle, as the stars.
Electronics. (of a spot of light or image on a radar display) to shift rapidly around a mean position.
Physics.
  1. (of the amplitude, phase, or polarization of an electromagnetic wave) to fluctuate in a random manner.
  2. (of an energetic photon or particle) to produce a flash of light in a phosphor by striking it.
verb (used with object), scin·til·lat·ed, scin·til·lat·ing.
to emit as sparks; flash forth.
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Origin of scintillate

First recorded in 1615–25, scintillate is from the Latin word scintillātus (past participle of scintillāre to send out sparks, flash). See scintilla, -ate1

Words nearby scintillate

scintigraph, scintigraphy, scintilla, scintillant, scintillascope, scintillate, scintillating, scintillating scotoma, scintillation, scintillation counter, scintillation spectrometer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to scintillate

flash, glimmer, glitter, shine, sparkle, charm, coruscate, gleam, twinkle

How to use scintillate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scintillate

scintillate
/ (ˈsɪntɪˌleɪt) /
verb (mainly intr)
(also tr) to give off (sparks); sparkle; twinkle
to be animated or brilliant
physics to give off flashes of light as a result of the impact of particles or photons

Derived forms of scintillate

scintillant, adjectivescintillantly, adverb

Word Origin for scintillate

C17: from Latin scintillāre, from scintilla a spark
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
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