scintillator

[ sin-tl-ey-ter ]

noun

, Physics.

1. a phosphor capable of producing scintillations.

scintillator

/ ˈsɪntɪˌleɪtə /

noun

1. physics a phosphor that produces scintillations

Word History and Origins

Origin of scintillator¹

First recorded in 1870–75; scintillate + -or ²

Example Sentences

One type of detector that works outside the lab contains a type of chemical known as a scintillator.

From Science News For Students

These tubes could be used to pick up either Cherenkov light or scintillator light.

From Science News

Liquid scintillator detectors are still common — used in the NOvA neutrino experiment at Fermilab, for example — as are detectors made of solid plastic strips with scintillator mixed in.

From Science News

Scintillator detectors began to prove their worth in 1956 when a tank of liquid scintillator was used to discover the neutrino — once thought to be entirely undetectable.

From Science News

Over three hundred scintillator effects were worked out and this feature of fireless fireworks was widely varied.

From Project Gutenberg