triboluminescence

American  

[trahy-boh-loo-muh-nes-uhns, trib-oh-] / ˌtraɪ boʊˌlu məˈnɛs əns, ˌtrɪb oʊ- /

noun

Physics.

1. luminescence produced by friction, usually within a crystalline substance.

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triboluminescence British  

/ ˌtraɪbəʊˌluːmɪˈnɛsəns /

noun

1. luminescence produced by friction, such as the emission of light when certain crystals are crushed

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Other Word Forms

• triboluminescent adjective

Etymology

Origin of triboluminescence

First recorded in 1885–90; tribo- + luminescence

Explanation

Triboluminescence means light emitted by rubbing or by any other type of friction. If you rub two pieces of quartz together or pull tape off a roll in a dark room, you might see some triboluminescence. Triboluminescence comes from the Greek word tribo, meaning "to rub," and the Latin lumen, meaning "light." This second element is also present in the word bioluminescence, light emitted by living creatures. Francis Bacon was an early writer on triboluminescence, observing in 1620 that sugar crystals would spark when you scraped or broke them in the dark. Why he had broken or scraped so much sugar in the dark is not recorded.

Example Sentences

Another possibility is that earthquake lights are a manifestation of triboluminescence, which refers to light released when chemical bonds are broken through rubbing, crushing or scratching.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2017

The two longest words in the data set were 17 letters apiece: triboluminescence and idiosyncratically, both of which sent their spellers home.

From Slate • May 28, 2014