radiation

[rey-dee-ey-shuh n] /ˌreɪ diˈeɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
Physics.
  1. the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves.
  2. the complete process in which energy is emitted by one body, transmitted through an intervening medium or space, and absorbed by another body.
  3. the energy transferred by these processes.
2.
the act or process of radiating.
3.
something that is radiated.
4.
radial arrangement of parts.
Origin
1545-55; < Latin radiātiōn- (stem of radiātiō) a glittering, shining. See radiate, -ion
Related forms
radiational, adjective
antiradiation, adjective
interradiation, noun
nonradiation, noun
Examples from the web for radiation
  • Eric says that the intensity of cell phone radiation diminishes with distance.
  • To camp on the moon, astronauts need to be shielded from solar radiation.
  • Plus, being exposed to cosmic radiation for years and years and years cannot be a good lifestyle choice.
  • Even today these people have horrible health problems and are feeling the effects of the radiation.
  • Biosafety and radiation-safety panels may meet less frequently.
  • Someone who has to weigh chemicals or measure radiation ought to pick up accounting practices relatively easily.
  • With radiation levels soaring, workers couldn't complete crucial tasks.
  • Supply trucks reportedly refuse to enter the city for fear of radiation, forcing residents to find creative ways to cope.
  • So he juxtaposed cherry blossoms with a universal icon: the radiation hazard trefoil.
  • radiation levels in one control room spiked to a thousand times the normal level.
British Dictionary definitions for radiation

radiation

/ˌreɪdɪˈeɪʃən/
noun
1.
(physics)
  1. the emission or transfer of radiant energy as particles, electromagnetic waves, sound, etc
  2. the particles, etc, emitted, esp the particles and gamma rays emitted in nuclear decay
2.
(med) Also called radiation therapy. treatment using a radioactive substance
3.
(anatomy) a group of nerve fibres that diverge from their common source
4.
See adaptive radiation
5.
the act, state, or process of radiating or being radiated
6.
(surveying) the fixing of points around a central plane table by using an alidade and measuring tape
Derived Forms
radiational, adjective
Word Origin and History for radiation
n.

mid-15c., "act or process of radiating," from Middle French radiation and directly from Latin radiationem (nominative radiatio) "a shining, radiation," noun of action from past participle stem of radiare "to beam, shine, gleam; make beaming," from radius "beam of light; spoke of a wheel" (see radius). Meaning "rays or beams emitted" is from 1560s. Meaning "divergence from a center" is 1650s.

radiation in Medicine

radiation ra·di·a·tion (rā'dē-ā'shən)
n.

  1. The act or condition of diverging in all directions from a center.

  2. The emission and propagation of energy in the form of rays or waves.

  3. The energy radiated or transmitted in the form of rays, waves, or particles.

  4. A stream of particles or electromagnetic waves that is emitted by the atoms and molecules of a radioactive substance as a result of nuclear decay.

  5. Radiotherapy.

  6. The radial arrangement of anatomical or histological parts.

  7. The spread of a group of organisms into new habitats.

radiation in Science
radiation
(rā'dē-ā'shən)

    1. Streams of photons, electrons, small nuclei, or other particles. Radiation is given off by a wide variety of processes, such as thermal activity, nuclear reactions (as in fission), and by radioactive decay.

    2. The emission or movement of such particles through space or a medium, such as air. See Notes at conduction, electromagnetic radiation.

  2. The use of such energy, especially x-rays, in medical diagnosis and treatment.


radiation in Culture

radiation definition


Energy sent out in the form of particles or waves. (See alpha radiation, beta radiation, blackbody, cosmic rays, electromagnetic radiation, fluorescence, gamma radiation, photon, and quanta.)