scintillation
Americannoun
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the act of scintillating; sparkling.
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a spark or flash.
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Astronomy. the twinkling or tremulous effect of the light of the stars.
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Meteorology. any small-scale twinkling or shimmering of objects that are viewed through the atmosphere, caused by an interception of the observer's line of view by inhomogeneities in the atmospheric refractive index.
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Physics.
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a flash of light from the ionization of a phosphor struck by an energetic photon or particle.
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random fluctuation of the amplitude, phase, or polarization of an electromagnetic wave.
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(on a radar display) a slight, rapid shifting of a spot of light or the image of an object about its mean position.
noun
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the act of scintillating
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a spark or flash
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the twinkling of stars or radio sources, caused by rapid changes in the density of the earth's atmosphere, the interplanetary medium, or the interstellar medium, producing uneven refraction of starlight
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physics a flash of light produced when a material scintillates
Etymology
Origin of scintillation
First recorded in 1615–25, scintillation is from the Latin word scintillātiōn- (stem of scintillātiō ). See scintillate, -ion
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.
The detector's PMTs operate simultaneously to capture tiny flashes of scintillation light produced when neutrinos interact inside the detector.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
With each technological shift, the scintillation of new possibilities meets the tug of obsolescence.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
They have verified that proton-induced scintillation primarily arises from the population of the biexcitonic state in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals, facilitated by the process of proton-induced upconversion and impact ionisation.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2024
The research team has put forward and substantiated a novel theory regarding the scintillation mechanisms induced by protons in CsPbBr3 nanocrystals.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2024
To participate, then, in the pomp of the orchestra, in the full scintillation thereof, was in the highest degree thrilling.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
