ultraviolet

[ uhl-truh-vahy-uh-lit ]

/ ˌʌl trəˈvaɪ ə lɪt /

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adjective

beyond the violet in the spectrum, corresponding to light having wavelengths shorter than 4000 angstrom units.

pertaining to, producing, or utilizing light having such wavelengths: an ultraviolet lamp.

noun

ultraviolet radiation.

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Compare infrared.

Origin of ultraviolet

First recorded in 1870–75; ultra- + violet

Words nearby ultraviolet

ultrasound scanner, ultrastructure, Ultrasuede, ultrathin, ultratropical, ultraviolet, ultraviolet astronomy, ultraviolet filter, ultraviolet radiation, ultra vires, ultravirus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ultraviolet in a sentence

We should be hunting for signals in the ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma-ray frequencies.
Readers ask about malaria parasites, searching for alien intelligence and more|Science News Staff|January 24, 2021|Science News
Another key feature that will keep your humidifier cleaner longer is the use of ultraviolet light to mitigate the formation of mold and bacteria.
The best humidifier: Fight dry air (and a dry nose) all winter long|PopSci Commerce Team|January 15, 2021|Popular-Science
Putting surfaces that reflect ultraviolet light on glass can help daytime fliers spot windows before they fly into them.
Around the world, birds are in crisis|Alison Pearce Stevens|December 3, 2020|Science News For Students
It soaks up x-rays and ultraviolet energy from the sun, protecting those of us on the ground from these harmful rays.
Explainer: Our atmosphere — layer by layer|Beth Geiger|December 1, 2020|Science News For Students

If Juno saw a lightning strike at the same place as one of these ultraviolet flashes, “that would prove it,” she says.
Jupiter may have ‘sprites’ or ‘elves’ in its atmosphere|Maria Temming|December 1, 2020|Science News For Students
This ultraviolet camera shows people what the sun is really doing to their skin.
Muppet Beastie Boys, Robin Williams Tribute, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All of these instruments orbit Earth, beyond the atmosphere that blocks X-rays and most ultraviolet light.
The Supermassive Black Hole Smokescreen|Matthew R. Francis|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One important note: only certain mushrooms provide this benefit, thanks to being grown under ultraviolet light.
6 Healthy Foods to Fight the Flu, Beat Stress and More|DailyBurn|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
PhoneSoap disinfects your cell phone for $50 bucks with ultraviolet light in less than four minutes.
We are Living in the Golden Age of the Most Narcissistic and Voyeuristic Tech Imaginable|Charles C. Johnson|January 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If this sounds a little strange, just think about the health implications of sitting under ultraviolet light for hours at a time.
Conservatives Have No Idea What ‘Racist’ Means|Jamelle Bouie|August 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On a hunch I dropped in an aluminum alkyl, and then pushed the polymerization along with both ultraviolet and heat.
The Professional Approach|Charles Leonard Harness
The difficulty is a real one since the ultraviolet rays have a destructive effect even in the absence of oxygen.
The Organism as a Whole|Jacques Loeb
In the "X" circuit, the negative was grounded along an ultraviolet beam from the ship's repeller-ray generator.
The Airlords of Han|Philip Francis Nowlan
The apparatus is not one for producing violet or ultraviolet rays in the scientific meaning of those words.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2|Various
We utilize a carbon arc lamp, which has considerable ultraviolet light in it.
Warren Commission (4 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for ultraviolet

ultraviolet

/ (ˌʌltrəˈvaɪəlɪt) /

noun

the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays; in the range 0.4 × 10 –6 and 1 × 10 –8 metres

adjective

of, relating to, or consisting of radiation lying in the ultravioletultraviolet radiation Abbreviation: UV

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

Scientific definitions for ultraviolet

ultraviolet

[ ŭl′trə-vī′ə-lĭt ]

Adjective

Relating to electromagnetic radiation having frequencies higher than those of visible light but lower than those of x-rays, approximately 1015-1016 hertz. Some animals, such as bees, are capable of seeing ultraviolet radiation invisible to the human eye. See more at electromagnetic spectrum.

Noun

Ultraviolet light or the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. See Note at infrared.