self-luminous

adjective

self-lu·​mi·​nous ˌself-ˈlü-mə-nəs How to pronounce self-luminous (audio)
: generating and emitting its own visible light
… Venus … is not self-luminous but lit by the sun …Derek J. deSolla Price
Radium paint is actually self-luminous—when freshly applied, it requires no external energy source …Jack Forster

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-luminous was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near self-luminous

Cite this Entry

“Self-luminous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-luminous. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!