Phosphorescence
noun /ˌfɒsfəˈrɛsəns/ — Light that glows without burning — cold, alive, mysterious.
Definition
Light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat; the emission of radiation in the absence of obvious heat, especially the glow produced by living organisms in the dark.
Beyond the definition
Phosphorescence names one of nature's most genuinely uncanny gifts: the living sea that glows blue at night, the fox fires in old wood, the bioluminescent organisms that light their own path in total darkness. The writer Rebecca Solnit used it as a metaphor for people who carry their own light in the dark.
Origin & history
From Greek phosphoros 'light-bearing' (from phos 'light' + pheros 'bearing'). First recorded in English in the 17th century to describe the 'cold' light of the sea.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The phosphorescence of the bay lit their hands blue every time they lifted them from the water.
She had a phosphorescence about her — a quiet brightness that didn't depend on the room's light.
The rotting wood glowed with phosphorescence in the dark forest — ancient and eerie.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Phosphorescence” when the meaning fits your context: Light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat; the emission of radiation in the absence of obvious heat, especially the glow produced by living organisms in the dark.
Synonyms
bioluminescence, glow, luminescence, cold light, foxfire
Antonyms
darkness, opacity
Related words
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
The bay at night was completely dark — no moon, no lights from shore — and when she put her hand into the water, her hand glowed.
She had known intellectually that bioluminescence existed. She was not prepared for how it would feel: each stroke through the water leaving trails of cold blue light, her own body becoming something luminous.
She swam for an hour. She kept reaching into the dark water just to see the light respond. "I understood something that night," she wrote later, "about how much light exists in things we don't think to disturb."
Questions about this word
What does "Phosphorescence" mean?
Phosphorescence is noun meaning: Light that glows without burning — cold, alive, mysterious.. Light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat; the emission of radiation in the absence of obvious heat, especially the glow produced by living organisms in the dark.
Where does the word "Phosphorescence" come from?
From Greek phosphoros 'light-bearing' (from phos 'light' + pheros 'bearing'). First recorded in English in the 17th century to describe the 'cold' light of the sea.