Dictionary

phosphorescence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌfɑs.fəˈɹɛs.əns/ (General-American)
• (UK) audio
• /ˌfɒs.fəˈɹɛs.əns/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From phosphorescent. Morphologically phosphoresce + -ence.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The emission of light without any perceptible heat; the quality of being phosphorescent.
   • We saw a round red sun rise over the City, paint the glassy towers with phosphorescence and, as it brightened and lost its shape, sprinkle across the sky feathers of pink and lilac. 2002, Barbara Vine, Grasshopper, page 138:
   • For a moment she saw the coast of Sumatra edged by the phosphorescence of waves, and crowned by lighthouses, still sending forth their disregarded beams. 1909, E.M. Forster, “I”, in The Machine Stops:
   • Mr. Nott proceeded to say that "since the discovery of Photography, there is, perhaps, no branch of electrical physics more interest­ing than that which comprehends the pheno­mena of phosphorescence." 1846, (unknown), “On the Theory of Photographic Action”, in Scientific American, volume 2, number 13, page 104:

Forms

Deriveds

photophosphorescence · hyperphosphorescence · electrophosphorescence

Relateds

luminescence

Translations (32)

oc fosforescéncia (emission of light without heat) · mi pūrātoke (emission of light without heat) · es fosforescencia (emission of light without heat) · tl pospowanag (emission of light without heat) · fr phosphorescence (emission of light without heat) · eo fosforesko (emission of light without heat) · mi porotitiwai (emission of light without heat) · ca fosforescència (emission of light without heat) · cy ffosfforedd (emission of light without heat) · bg фосфоресценция (emission of light without heat) · fi fosforesenssi (emission of light without heat) · sv fosforescens (emission of light without heat) · gl fosforescencia (emission of light without heat) · pl fosforescencja (emission of light without heat) · ga tine ghealáin (emission of light without heat) · de Phosphoreszenz (emission of light without heat) · it fosforescenza (emission of light without heat) · cmn 磷光 (emission of light without heat) · pt fosforescência (emission of light without heat) · ga gealán (emission of light without heat) · nb fosforescens (emission of light without heat) · sv fosforsken (emission of light without heat) · vi lân quang (emission of light without heat) · nn fosforescens (emission of light without heat) · ja 燐光 (emission of light without heat) · ru фосфоресценция (emission of light without heat) · bn অনুপ্রভা (emission of light without heat) · de Nachleuchten (emission of light without heat) · ga méarnáil (emission of light without heat) · ko 인광 (emission of light without heat) · el φωσφορισμός (emission of light without heat) · mi hīnātore (emission of light without heat)