luminescence

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: lu=mi=nes=cence

CIDE DICTIONARY

luminescence, n. [See Luminescent.].

•  Any emission of light not ascribable directly to incandescence, and therefore occurring at low temperatures, as in phosphorescence and fluorescence or other luminous radiation resulting from vital processes, chemical action, friction, solution, or the influence of light or of ultraviolet or cathode rays, etc.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  The faculty or power of producing light by biological processes, as in the firefly and glowworm. Also called bioluminescence.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

luminescence, n. the emission of light by a substance other than as a result of incandescence.

Derivative

luminescent adj.

Etymology

as LUMEN + -ESCENCE (see -ESCENT)

THESAURUS

luminescence

autoluminescence, bioluminescence, cathode luminescence, chemicoluminescence, chemiluminescence, corposant, crystalloluminescence, double corposant, electroluminescence, fata morgana, fluorescence, fox fire, ignis fatuus, luciferase, luciferin, luminophor, marshfire, noctiluscence, phosphor, phosphorescence, photoluminescence, radioluminescence, thermoluminescence, tribofluorescence, triboluminescence, tribophosphorescence, wisp, witch fire