luminiferous
1
9.9
- adjective
- /luːˈmɪnɪfərəs/
- Specialized
:
luminífero
- The concept of a luminiferous medium was crucial in early theories of light propagation.
- luminiferous ether
Examples
-
Physicists debated the existence of a luminiferous substance to explain how light travels through space.
-
They even go back to the old idea of the luminiferous ether?
Fiction book (1991) -
This was called the Luminiferous Aether, or Aether for short.
Blog text (10) -
In traditional scientific fashion, the notion of a luminiferous aether was only gradually phased out as more sophisticated theories came into play.
Blog text (10) -
Hey now, there were actually reasonable a priori reasons to hypothesize the existence of the luminiferous ether, and the M-M experiment required very high precision measurements. The data had to be analyzed very carefully to confirm that it did not exist.
Blog text (14) -
Unrelenting skeptics will surely compare the dark matter of today with the hypothetical, now-defunct "luminiferous aether" that generations of physicists had proposed as the carrier of light waves.
Academic text (2003) -
Scientists once believed that the luminiferous aether filled space and transmitted light.
Synonyms
459
1.0
Full of strong light that makes a place easy to see
38
4.8
Shining with a soft steady light like a lantern
8
6.7
Giving off light because it is very hot
7
4.8
Very bright colors that seem to glow in daylight
5
7.0
A thing that gives off light without heat, like fireflies or jellyfish
3
8.0
A living thing that makes light inside its body and shines in the dark
1
8.2
Sparkling with small bright flashes of light
1
9.6
A soft, gentle light that seems to move
Something that gives off light or small particles, for example when heated
Making its own light rather than reflecting light
Shining very brightly with small flashes of light
Shining with bright light or looking very happy
Full of bright light
Antonyms
How Luminous
64
4.1
- Specialized
1
9.9
38
4.8
62
1.0
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
luminiferous = lumin + iferous
The word is built from learned classical elements meaning roughly 'light' and 'bearing', but those bound forms are not transparent to most B1 learners.
Etymology
Luminiferous comes from Latin parts lumin- 'light' (seen in luminous and luminary) and -ferous 'bearing' (seen in coniferous), so it means 'carrying or producing light'. That's why scientists once used it for the old idea of a medium that would carry light, the 'luminiferous ether'.