autoluminescence
|au-to-lu-mi-nes-cence|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˌluːməˈnɛsəns/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˌluːmɪˈnɛsns/
self-produced light
Etymology
'autoluminescence' originates from Greek and Latin, specifically Greek 'autos' (αὐτός) meaning 'self' and Latin 'lūminēscentia' (from 'lumen') meaning 'light'.
'autoluminescence' was formed in Modern English by combining the Greek prefix 'auto-' with the Latin-derived noun 'luminescence' (from medieval/early modern scientific Latin 'lūminēscēns'/'lūminēscentia'), resulting in the compound modern English 'autoluminescence'.
Initially the components meant 'self' and 'light', and the compound has retained the meaning 'self-produced light' in modern scientific usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
light emitted spontaneously by a substance or system as a result of internal chemical or biochemical reactions, without external excitation.
The researchers measured the autoluminescence of the tissue sample to assess metabolic activity.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/26 16:40