infrared spectrum
- noun
- /ˌɪnfrəˈrɛd ˈspɛktrəm/
- Specialized
:
espectro infrarrojo
- Plants often absorb sunlight but also reflect some wavelengths in the infrared spectrum, which can be measured to assess their health.
- far-infrared spectrum
Examples
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Thermal imaging cameras can reveal heat signatures that fall within the infrared spectrum, allowing us to see in complete darkness.
-
As one of the "new astronomers" in the 1960s, he explored the far infrared spectrum from space and helped open up a new window on the universe.
Academic text (2007) -
"You can also see farther into the infrared spectrum than can be seen from the ground."
Academic text (1994) -
Looking back at this early work, it is evident that one can expect fiber sources to cover the entire visible and near-infrared spectrum.
Academic text (1993) -
Existing thermal windows in the infrared spectrum, through which the surface cools, would shut, producing the runaway greenhouse effect we see today.
Academic text (1995) -
Indeed, LJO took the first far-infrared spectrum of the Orion Nebula, a large cloud of gas and dust where stars are being born.
Academic text (2002) -
But astronomers want to observe the universe as completely as possible and are certainly not content with only these few percent of the shortest wavelengths in the infrared spectrum.
Academic text (1991) -
The military can do fine with this small segment of the total infrared spectrum, since even that small portion with the shortest wavelengths will suffice to reveal the enemy (or the friend, for that matter).
Academic text (1991) -
It can see into the infrared spectrum, just as this artificial digit—he raised the index finger of his left hand—can produce a mark that can only be seen by this eye.
Fiction book (1991) -
Astronomers study celestial objects by analyzing their emissions in the infrared spectrum to gather information about their composition.
Synonyms
5
4.8
Light with waves longer than red light that you cannot see but feel as heat
5
4.0
Light you cannot see that often feels warm
4
4.2
A type of light we cannot see that warm things give off
A range of light waves below visible light, like the glow from a TV remote
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a direct, compositional combination: 'infrared' specifies which part of the 'spectrum' is meant, so the meaning — the band or range of infrared wavelengths — follows immediately from the constituents. This is a common, cross-linguistic technical naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words will be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Infrared spectrum comes from the idea of a spectrum like a rainbow and infrared literally meaning 'below red' — light just past the red you cannot see but can feel as heat. So, the infrared spectrum is the range of light beyond what we see that often appears as warmth.