actinic ray
- noun
- /ækˈtɪnɪk reɪ/
- Specialized
:
rayo actínico
- The experiment required a source of actinic rays to initiate the chemical reaction.
Examples
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Photography film is sensitive to actinic rays in the ultraviolet spectrum.
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Prolonged exposure to actinic rays can cause materials to degrade over time.
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The actinic ray from the sun can cause skin damage.
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Many actinic rays are emitted during a solar flare.
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Photography film is sensitive to actinic rays in the ultraviolet spectrum.
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Prolonged exposure to actinic rays can cause materials to degrade over time.
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The experiment required a source of actinic rays to initiate the chemical reaction.
Synonyms
10
4.0
A type of light from the sun that you cannot see and that can burn your skin
5
3.9
A strong invisible light from the sun that can damage skin and kill germs
4
4.1
Invisible light from the sun that can burn skin
Light that causes chemical changes in materials, such as ultraviolet or visible light
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derived from combining 'actinic' (causing chemical/photochemical reactions) with 'ray' (a beam of light): it denotes a ray that produces chemical change. This adj+noun compositional pattern is regular and predictable (though technical), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Actinic ray comes from the old Greek word 'aktis' meaning 'ray'. People in the 1800s used actinic for light that makes chemical change, so actinic ray is a ray of light that can cause chemical reactions, for example on photographic film.