Radioluminescent

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A quality of various substances that shine when subjected to radiation exposure
2. Having the property of glowing or shining when exposed to radioactive particles or rays
3. Describes materials that produce visible light as a result of being irradiated by radioactive sources

Etymology: Radioluminescent is a plain compound: "radio-", from the Latin "radius" meaning ray, joined to "luminescent", which itself comes from the Latin "lumen", meaning light. Put together, the word describes a substance that glows because radiation strikes it, rather than because of heat or electricity. The "radio-" in this sense refers to rays and emitted particles, not to the broadcasting device, which took its name from the same Latin root only much later through the word "radiotelegraphy." The most useful way to read the word is by its two halves. "Luminescent" is the older and more general term, covering many kinds of cold light, while "radio-" narrows the cause to radiation. The pairing reflects the early twentieth century, when scientists were working out how radium and related materials made surrounding substances shine, and they needed precise vocabulary for each cause of glow.

Synonyms: radioluminescent material, glow-in-the-dark