abbreviation
-
sun protection factor: the effectiveness of a sunscreen in protecting the skin from the sun's ultraviolet UVB radiation, as rated on a scale of increasing protectiveness, the number being the ratio of the radiation dose needed to produce minimal redness when using sunscreen compared to the dose needed to produce the same redness without sunscreen.
An SPF of 15 will allow you to stay in the sun 15 times longer.
abbreviation
-
sender policy framework: a mechanism designed to prevent an e-mail address being duplicated and used as a false address from which to send unsolicited e-mails
-
sun protection factor: an indicator of how effectively a sun cream, lotion, cosmetic, etc, protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun
SPF 25
"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
abbreviation
-
vet science specific pathogen free; denoting animals specially bred to ensure that they are free of specified diseases
"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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any
opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
SPF general secretary David Kennedy said Scotland was "absolutely" facing a knife crisis and blamed the loss of some stop-and-search powers.
From
BBC
●
Jul. 7, 2026
SPF 100, despite the name, protects against 99% of rays.
From
The Wall Street Journal
●
Jul. 3, 2026
That cap was first proposed at SPF 50, and later increased to 60.
From
The Wall Street Journal
●
Jul. 3, 2026
The most visible number on sunscreen bottles is the sun protection factor or SPF.
From
BBC
●
Jun. 22, 2026
“Don’t you know anything about SPF? Skin cancer?”
From
"Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
I’m so white I’m almost translucent Check out the S.P.F.
From
New York Times
●
Apr. 9, 2020
But as unappealing as a leafy Tostitos lime cocktail with hints of S.P.F.
From
The New Yorker
●
Dec. 21, 2015
Dermatologists have long cautioned people not to rely too heavily on sunscreens, even products with the recommended S.P.F. rating of 30 or higher for summer sun protection.
From
New York Times
●
Jun. 29, 2015
Some consumers erroneously believe that choosing a more expensive sunscreen with a sky-high S.P.F. number like 70 or 100 will provide complete protection.
From
New York Times
●
Jun. 29, 2015
However, the Food and Drug Administration has not determined that an S.P.F. of more than 50 has any added benefits.
From
New York Times
●
Jun. 29, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
