phosphorescing
Shining without heat
Phosphorescing is glowing with a soft, sustained light without combustion or significant heat.
The term comes from phosphorus, which glows faintly in the dark.
Unlike fluorescence, which stops when the light source is removed, phosphorescence continues afterward: The dial of the old watch was still phosphorescing hours after sunset.
The word applies literally to certain chemicals and organisms, and figuratively to anything that seems to emit a ghostly radiance.
Tremulous, wavering light
- gleamFaint reflected light
- glimmerFaint, wavering light
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- afterglowLingering light or feeling
luminous · shimmering · faint · pale · greenish · bluish · ethereal · gentle
Resembling a specter
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- uncannyEerily beyond normal
- otherworldlySeemingly not earthly
supernatural · mysterious · apparitional · phantasmal · strange · unsettling · ominous · unearthly
Dark hours daily
- twilightLight after sunset
- duskDimming after sundown
- shadowLight blocked by object
- dimnessInsufficient illumination
gloom · midnight · moonless · crepuscular · murk · obscurity · blackness · contrast
Bioluminescent nocturnal beetle
- jellyfishDrifting marine stinger
- glow-wormBioluminescent beetle larva
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
marine · algae · krill · coral · bay · anglerfish · squid · comb-jelly
Discrete packets of radiance
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- emissionDischarged substance or act
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
- quantumSmallest discrete unit
decay · radiation · energy · spectrum · ultraviolet · absorption · phosphor · radium
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
afterglow · luminous · shimmering · faint · pale · greenish · bluish · ethereal · gentle · steady
ghostly
Resembling a specter
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- uncannyEerily beyond normal
otherworldly · supernatural · mysterious · apparitional · phantasmal · strange · unsettling · ominous · unearthly · surreal
night
Dark hours daily
dimness · gloom · midnight · moonless · crepuscular · murk · obscurity · blackness · contrast · visible
firefly
Bioluminescent nocturnal beetle
- jellyfishDrifting marine stinger
- glow-wormBioluminescent beetle larva
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
deep-sea · marine · algae · krill · coral · bay · anglerfish · squid · comb-jelly
photons
Discrete packets of radiance
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- emissionDischarged substance or act
- wavelengthSpatial repetition interval
quantum · decay · radiation · energy · spectrum · ultraviolet · absorption · phosphor · radium · paint
phosphorescingincandescent
Glowing from heat
burning · glowing hot · white-hot · red-hot · blazing
fluorescent, luminescent, luminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescent, fluoresce, phosphorescence, bioluminescent, bioluminescence