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luciferin

American  
[loo-sif-er-in] / luˈsɪf ər ɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

  1. a pigment occurring in bioluminescent organisms, such as fireflies, that emits light when undergoing oxidation.

luciferin British  
/ luːˈsɪfərɪn /

noun

  1. biochem a substance occurring in bioluminescent organisms, such as glow-worms and fireflies. It undergoes an enzyme-catalysed oxidation and emits light on decaying to its ground state

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of luciferin

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin lūcifer ( Lucifer ) + -in 2

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.