| / English Dictionary |
SCINTILLATION
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The twinkling of the stars caused when changes in the density of the earth's atmosphere produce uneven refraction of starlight
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("scintillation" is a kind of...):
fluctuation; wavering (the quality of being unsteady and subject to changes)
Derivation:
scintillate (emit or reflect light in a flickering manner)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The quality of shining with a bright reflected light
Synonyms:
glisten; glister; glitter; scintillation; sparkle
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("scintillation" is a kind of...):
brightness (the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white)
Derivation:
scintillate (reflect brightly)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A brilliant display of wit
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("scintillation" is a kind of...):
brilliance; genius (unusual mental ability)
Derivation:
scintillate (be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A rapid change in brightness; a brief spark or flash
Synonyms:
scintillation; sparkling; twinkle
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("scintillation" is a kind of...):
alteration; change; modification (an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another)
Derivation:
scintillate (give off)
Sense 5
Meaning:
(physics) a flash of light that is produced in a phosphor when it absorbs a photon or ionizing particle
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("scintillation" is a kind of...):
light; visible light; visible radiation ((physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation)
Domain category:
natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
Derivation:
scintillate (physics: fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon)
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