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Incandescent first came to light in the English language toward the end of the 1700s, at a time when scientific experiments involving heat and light were being conducted on an increasingly frequent basis. An object that glowed at a high temperature (such as a piece of coal) was deemed incandescent. By the mid-1800s, the incandescent lamp—aka the lightbulb—had been invented; it contains a filament which gives off light when heated by an electric current. Figurative uses of incandescent soon followed, and today someone with a brilliant way with words may be said to have an “incandescent wit,” while someone positively beaming with joy may possess an “incandescent smile.”
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Examples of incandescent in a Sentence
Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2024
Another one of our top picks is this slim tree with incandescent lights, designed for outdoor use.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2024
Replace light bulbs: If possible, make sure that the light bulbs in your home are incandescent or LED.
—Serenity Mirabito, Rn, Health, 19 June 2024
The energy-efficient bulbs run cooler and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lights.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Incandescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incandescent. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incandescent
1 of 2 adjective
incandescent
2 of 2 noun
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