fluoresce

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰlewH-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰluH-yé-ti? Latin fluō Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *-ōs Proto-Italic *-ōs Latin -or Latin fluorbor. English fluor Proto-Indo-European *-tósder. Ancient Greek -της (-tēs)der. Ancient Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs)der. Latin -ītēsbor. French -iteder. English -ite English fluorite Middle Low German sparder. Old English spærstān Middle English sparston English sparstonebf. English spar blend English fluorspar Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁sḱeti Proto-Italic *-ēskō Latin -ēscō Latin -escensder. English -escence English fluorescencebf. English fluoresce Back-formation from fluorescence.

1. To emit electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light, when absorbing radiation of some other wavelength.

   “The blinding light did not hurt, it filled him, he glowed, all his veins fluoresced, each one alive with new growth.”

2. To cause to fluoresce; to make fluorescent.

   “During right robotic thymectomy, fluorescence imaging facilitates identification of the contralateral phrenic nerve by fluorescing the pericardiophrenic vessels.”

3. Of colours, to be very bright; to be so bright as to appear to radiate as a light source.