to luminesce
1
8.2
- verb
- /ˌluːməˈnɛs/
- Specialized
:
luminescer
Examples
-
On the flight, yellow houses with red clay roofs luminesced like jewels.
Academic text (2006) -
At night, the fireflies began to luminesce, creating a magical atmosphere in the garden.
-
The algae in the water started to luminesce when disturbed, illuminating the dark waves.
-
During the experiment, the chemical solution would luminesce brightly under UV light.
Synonyms
428
1.0
To send out or reflect light and look bright
161
1.2
To shine with a steady soft light
70
1.9
To shine softly, often on a smooth or wet surface
64
2.5
Begin to shine or make something begin to shine, for example by burning
2
7.9
To give off bright light after it absorbs other light
2
8.5
To give off small bright flashes of light
To glow softly after being in light
Antonyms
How Bright
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Luminesce comes from the Latin root lumen meaning 'light' and the ending -esce meaning 'to become'. So, to luminesce is to 'become light' and means to give off light without heat, like glow-in-the-dark paint or deep-sea animals.