noctilucent

American  

[nok-tuh-loo-suhnt] / ˌnɒk təˈlu sənt /

adjective

Meteorology.

1. (of high-altitude clouds) visible during the short night of the summer.

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noctilucent British  

/ ˌnɒktɪˈluːsənt /

adjective

1. shining at night, usu. of very thin high altitude clouds observable in the summer twilight sky

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noctilucent Scientific  

/ nŏk′tə-lo̅o̅′sənt /

1. Luminous at night. The term is used especially to describe certain high atmospheric cloud formations visible during summer nights at high latitudes.

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Other Word Forms

• noctilucence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of noctilucent

First recorded in 1885–90; nocti- + lucent

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

noctilucent

“We are near the peak of the noctilucent cloud season, and even in the absence of extraordinary events, they can appear over the northern continental U.S.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2022

Before sunrise on Friday, they tweeted photos of the “most vivid displays of noctilucent clouds” claimed to be seen in decades in the area.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2022

Alan Tough spotted these rare noctilucent clouds in Elgin, Scotland.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2011

It is thought that the increase in brightness and frequency of noctilucent clouds over past decades may be linked to global warming.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2010

Like noctilucent clouds high above the cirrus belt.

From The Scarlet Lake Mystery by Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)