fluorescent

[ floo-res-uhnt, flaw-, floh- ]

adjective

1. possessing the property of fluorescence; exhibiting fluorescence.
2. strikingly bright, vivid, or glowing:

   plastic toys in fluorescent colors.

noun

1. a lighting fixture that utilizes a fluorescent lamp.

Other Words From

• nonfluo·rescent adjective
• unfluo·rescent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluorescent¹

First recorded in 1850–55; fluor- + -escent

Example Sentences

Other sounds, be it his wife popping chewing gum or a neighbour's dog barking, and some smells, such as congealed fat or grease, and sights such as fluorescent lights, have always made him very uncomfortable.

From BBC

She paused beneath a buzzing fluorescent light, then picked up a white bedsheet and said, “It’s time to hang myself.”

From Los Angeles Times

They wanted to see his explanation of the inexplicable, to understand why he shot the fluorescent lighting out in the editorial board room of the paper whose banner reads “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

From Salon

We forget that litany of questions under the fluorescent beams.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a park in Kennington in south London rather than a fluorescent Superbowl pitch, but the Prince of Wales has joined the increasing numbers in the UK playing American football.

From BBC

Related Words

• bright
• luminous
• rich
• shiny
• sunny