luminesce

American  

[loo-muh-nes] / ˌlu məˈnɛs /

verb (used without object)

luminesced, luminescing

1. to exhibit luminescence.

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luminesce British  

/ ˌluːmɪˈnɛs /

verb

1. (intr) to exhibit luminescence

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Etymology

Origin of luminesce

First recorded in 1895–1900; back formation from luminescent ( def. )

Explanation

To luminesce is to shine or glow with light. Some types of jellyfish have the uncanny ability to luminesce underwater. Glow-in-the-dark paint will luminesce when you turn out the lights, and fireflies luminesce in the night sky during the summertime. There are also many chemicals and minerals that naturally luminesce. A scientist would make the distinction that something luminesces when its light is cool, not hot like a match or a glowing flame. Luminesce, like the related luminescence and luminosity, comes from the Latin lumen, meaning "light."

Example Sentences

In 1969, scientists discovered that all metals luminesce to some degree, but the intervening years failed to yield a clear understanding of how this occurs.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

The ability to luminesce does not benefit free-living bacteria, so free-living bacteria do not produce luciferase.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The squid produces the luminescent luciferase enzyme, so bacteria living outside the squid do not luminesce.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

These animals and habitats look more realistic than those at other light shows because of their sculpted forms — you could almost mistake them for the real thing, if not for their luminesce.

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2021

On the dark side, the meteorites cannot luminesce because of the�240�F. cold; instead, they absorb the energy of the protons.

From Time Magazine Archive