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Saturday, January 17, 2026
Word of the Day

luminescent

adjective

Emitting light not caused by incandescence; producing cold light through chemical, electrical, or physiological processes.

Advanced - Used in formal or literary contexts

Etymology

From Latin lumen (light) + -escent (beginning to be), describing the process of emitting light without heat.

Examples in Use

  • 1.

    "The luminescent plankton made the waves glow blue at night."

  • 2.

    "The watch face featured luminescent hands for visibility in the dark."

  • 3.

    "Deep-sea creatures have evolved luminescent organs to survive in darkness."

Related Vocabulary

Synonyms

glowingphosphorescentfluorescentradiantshining

Related Words

bioluminescentlight-emittingincandescentbright

Fun Fact

Bioluminescence evolved independently at least 40 times across different species. About 76% of deep-sea creatures produce their own light, using it for camouflage, hunting, and communication.

Word Game Tips

Letters: 11 letters (L, U, M, I, N, E, S, C, E, N, T)

Scrabble Value: 15 points

Tip: Try building from common prefixes or suffixes when you spot these letters.

Put Your Vocabulary to the Test!

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