opalescence en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌəʉpəˈlesəns/ (Australia)
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English opal Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁sḱeti Proto-Italic *-ēskō Latin -ēscō Latin -escensder. English -escence English opalescence From opal + -escence.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) the state of being opalescent
- (countable, uncountable) the milky iridescent appearance of a dense transparent medium when it is illuminated by polychromatic visible radiation (such as sunlight) due to local fluctuations in its density and therefore in its refractive index
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| opalescences | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (2)
cs opalizace (state of being opalescent) · cs opalescence (state of being opalescent)