incandescence

[in-kuh n-des-uh ns] /ˌɪn kənˈdɛs əns/
noun
1.
the emission of visible light by a body, caused by its high temperature.
Compare luminescence.
2.
the light produced by such an emission.
3.
the quality of being incandescent.
Origin
1650-60; incandesc(ent) + -ence
Related forms
nonincandescence, noun
Examples from the web for incandescence
  • But the flashy neon seems pale amid the deep incandescence of this red giant of a book.
  • The menace is there, an incandescence that could erupt at any moment into flames.
  • Lithium silicide attacks tellurium with incandescence.
  • The blue in the flame of a match or a candle is not a result of incandescence, but of luminescence.
  • The crater occupies the area in which incandescence had been observed during the previous week.
  • More incandescence in this wide flow occurs left of image.
British Dictionary definitions for incandescence

incandescence

/ˌɪnkænˈdɛsəns/
noun
1.
the emission of light by a body as a consequence of raising its temperature Compare luminescence
2.
the light produced by raising the temperature of a body
Word Origin and History for incandescence
n.

1650s, figurative, "state of being 'inflamed,'" from incandescent + -ence. Literal use from 1794.

incandescence in Science
incandescence
  (ĭn'kən-děs'əns)   
The emission of visible light from a substance or object as a result of heating it to a high temperature. The color of the light emitted from solids and liquids is a function of their chemical structure and their temperature; the higher the temperature, the more intense and even the distribution of frequencies is (that is, higher temperatures create brighter and whiter light than lower temperatures). Compare fluorescence. See also blackbody radiation.