incandescent

[ in-kuhn-des-uhnt ]

adjective

1. (of light) produced by incandescence.
2. glowing or white with heat.
3. intensely bright; brilliant.
4. brilliant; masterly; extraordinarily lucid:

   an incandescent masterpiece; incandescent wit.

5. aglow with ardor, purpose, etc.:

   the incandescent vitality of youth.

   Synonyms: dynamic, brilliant

incandescent

/ ˌɪnkænˈdɛsənt /

adjective

1. emitting light as a result of being heated to a high temperature; red-hot or white-hot
2. informal.
   extremely angry; raging

Derived Forms

• ˌincanˈdescently, adverb

Other Words From

• incan·descent·ly adverb
• nonin·can·descent adjective
• nonin·can·descent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incandescent¹

1785–95; < Latin incandēscent- (stem of incandēscēns ), present participle of incandēscere to glow. See in- ², candescent

Word History and Origins

Origin of incandescent¹

C18: from Latin incandescere to become hot, glow, from in- ² + candescere to grow bright, from candēre to be white; see candid

Example Sentences

Some bulbs mimic bright blue daylight, while others try to recreate the warm glow of incandescent bulbs.

From Popular-Science

While traditional twinkle lights that use incandescent bulbs may require maintenance and bulb replacement as often as twice a year, some types of LEDs can last upwards of 50,000 hours.

From Popular-Science

Light in the ultraviolet spectrum attracts bugs, and incandescent twinkle lights give off just as much of this light as do regular incandescent bulbs.

From Popular-Science

One set of two 33-foot connectable strings for a total of 200 incandescent lights.

From Popular-Science

This is an imperfect film that still captures an elusive and incandescent vibe, as alluring as a strand of lights strung up for an impromptu concrete picnic.

From Time

To that end, the budget postpones federal phase-out of incandescent electric bulbs.

From The Daily Beast

His bright idea turned out to be the incandescent light bulb, which he invented in 1880.

From The Daily Beast

The lighting industry has rolled out a series of new products—LEDs, CFLs, new incandescent bulbs—that comply with the standard.

From The Daily Beast

U.S. policy since 2007 has been to phase out incandescent light bulbs.

From The Daily Beast

They last far longer than incandescent bulbs and save enormous amounts of energy.

From The Daily Beast

Its a fine large word, and is in my line; it has quite a learned and cerebrospinal incandescent sound.

From Project Gutenberg

The yacht is lighted throughout by electricity, there being over 200 incandescent lamps.

From Project Gutenberg

On the inside of the spool, or towel support, an ordinary incandescent electric globe was placed.

From Project Gutenberg

Pieces of platinum that will serve very nicely for the purpose may be obtained from an old incandescent lamp.

From Project Gutenberg

The experiments and endeavors that brought this result constitute the story of the incandescent lamp.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• luminous
• radiant
• shining