Word
fluorescent
Phoneticsflu·o·res·cent
US/ˌfɫɔˈɹɛsənt/
UK/flɔːɹˈɛsənt/
Definitions
01glowing light
adj. producing a bright, cool light using a special tube filled with gas.
adj. emitting visible light via the excitation of phosphors by ultraviolet radiation within a gas-discharge lamp.
“The office was lit by long fluorescent tubes that hummed quietly all day.”
“The laboratory was bathed in a harsh fluorescent glare that made the sterile equipment appear even more clinical and cold.”
Technical
Usage
Often used to describe lighting fixtures or the specific quality of light they produce.
Antonyms
02vivid colours
adj. extremely bright and easy to see, like neon colours.
adj. having a very vivid or strikingly bright appearance, often appearing to glow under certain lighting conditions.
“The cyclists wore fluorescent yellow jackets so drivers could see them in the dark.”
“The artist used fluorescent pigments to ensure the mural would remain visible even in the dim light of the underground passage.”
03a light bulb
n. a tube-shaped electric light that gives off a bright glow.
n. a fluorescent lamp or tube used for illumination.
“One of the fluorescents in the hallway is flickering and needs to be replaced.”
“The janitor spent the morning replacing the burnt-out fluorescents in the basement storage area.”
Informal
Usage
Commonly used as a countable noun in informal workplace contexts to refer to the light fixtures themselves.
Real-World Examples
“All glow-in-the-dark toys, stickers, paint, coatings in fluorescent lamps, cathode-ray tube TVs, and some clock dials rely on phosphorescence.” “To evaluate the system in living animals, the researchers linked the Ei element to a reporter that produces green fluorescent protein (GFP), allowing gene activity to be visualized.” Etymology
From fluoresce + -ent.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fluorescent