incandescent

English

WOTD - 24 February 2010    

Etymology

From Latin incandescens, from incandesco (“be heated, glow”), from in- (“intensifying prefix”) + candesco (“become white”), from candidus (“white”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌɪn.kænˈdɛs.ənt/, /ˌɪŋ.kænˈdɛs.ənt/, /ˌɪn.kənˈdɛs.ənt/
• (US) IPA: /ˌɪn.kænˈdɛs.ənt/, /ˌɪn.kənˈdɛs.ənt/

Adjective

incandescent (comparative more incandescent, superlative most incandescent)

1. emitting light as a result of being heated
2. shining very brightly
3. showing intense emotion, as of a performance etc.

Related terms

• incandescence
• incandescently

Derived terms

• incandescent lamp

Translations

remitting light as result of heating

Finnish: hehku- (fi), hehkuva (fi) French: incandescent (fr) m. Greek: πυρακτωμένος  (el) (piraktoménos)

Italian: incandescente (it) Russian: накалённый добела (ru) Spanish: incandescente (es), candente (es)

shining brightly

Finnish: loistava (fi), hehkuva (fi) French: éblouissant (fr), irradiant (fr) Italian: abbagliante (it)

Russian: светящийся (ru), сияющий (ru) Spanish: reluciente (es), irradiante (es), deslumbrante (es)

showing intense emotion

Finnish: hehkuva (fi) French: resplendissant (fr), éclatant (fr), rayonnant (fr), irradiant (fr) Italian: risplendente (it)

Russian: пылкий (ru), горячий (ru) Spanish: resplandesciente (es), rebosante (es)

Noun

incandescent (plural incandescents)

1. An incandescent lamp or bulb
   • 2007 March 1, Matthew L. Wald, “Room to Improve”, New York Times:

     Compact fluorescents are typically rated at 7,500 to 10,000 hours, and incandescents at about 1,500 hours.

Translations

incandescent lamp — see light bulb

See also

• fluorescent

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French

Etymology

From Latin incandescens, from incandesco (“be heated, glow”), from in- (“intensifying prefix”) + candesco (“become white”), from candidus (“white”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛ̃.kɑ̃.de.sɑ̃/, X-SAMPA: /E~.kA~.de.sA~/
• Homophone: incandescents
• Hyphenation: in‧can‧de‧scent

Adjective

incandescent m. (f. incandescente, m. plural incandescents, f. plural incandescentes)

1. incandescent

   Lorsque cette masse incandescente sortit des entrailles de la terre, elle se trouva entourée d'eau et se refroidit rapidement. (Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Bréau, L'Archipel de Chausey, souvenirs d'un Naturaliste, Revue des Deux Mondes, tome 30, 1842)

Related terms

• incandescence

References

• "incandescent" in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Latin

Verb

incandēscent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of incandēscō