ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Scintillation

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˌsɪn.tɪˈleɪ.ʃən/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Scintillation is a noun meaning A flash of light; a spark.

Meaning

A flash of light; a spark.

More Meanings

  1. (astronomy) The twinkling of a star or other celestial body caused by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.
  2. (nuclear physics) The flash of light produced by something (especially a phosphor) when it absorbs ionizing radiation.
  3. (figurative) A brief expression that is amusing or clever; witticism.

Example Sentences

[…]here and there were Latin inscriptions—obscene scintillations of wit[…]
Do the stars scintillate at all altitudes? Is there any altitude at which it ceases to manifest itself? At Morges the stars in general scintillate at all altitudes, although feebly near the zenith; but on the nights when the scintillation is very faint, it ceases completely at a zenith distance of 45°.

Word Forms

Synonyms for scintillation

Depending on context, synonyms include twinkle, sparkle, glisten, glister, glitter, sparkling.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include sparkling, sparkle, glisten, glitter, glister, twinkle.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.