Candescent Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms candescent American [kan-des-uhnt] / kænˈdɛs ənt /

adjective

1. glowing; incandescent.

candescent British / kænˈdɛsənt /

adjective

1. rare glowing or starting to glow with heat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• candescence noun
• candescently adverb
• noncandescence noun
• noncandescent adjective
• noncandescently adverb

Etymology

Origin of candescent

1815–25; < Latin candēscent- (stem of candescēns, present participle of candēscere to become bright), equivalent to cand- bright ( candid ) + -ēscent- -escent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lava-like liquid oozes from the base of the furnace as soot-coated men in hooded reflective suits, thick gloves and protective visors steer the candescent flow with ladles the length of spears.

From New York Times

Originally trained as a mezzo-soprano, she has a full-bodied lower range that is just as thrilling to witness as her candescent high notes, and a commanding softness in more conversational moments.

From New York Times

Writers of elevated and candescent fantasy hold a mirror to the worlds they live in and are master architects of the worlds they create, slanting reflections like a carnival funhouse.

From Los Angeles Times

She wore a white shirtwaist and black skirt that accentuated her trim figure, and she was seated beside a window, her hair candescent with sunlight.

From Literature

Unfortunately, despite efforts to associate the moment of innovation with light-bulbs, sparks or other candescent metaphors, modern innovation is a process - not an event - that relies on accumulated knowledge and capabilities.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.