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opalescence. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
opalescence, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
opalescence in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From opal + -escence.
Noun
opalescence (countable and uncountable, plural opalescences)
- the state of being opalescent
- (physics) the milky iridescent appearance of a dense transparent medium when it is illuminated by polychromatic visible radiation (such as sunlight) due to local fluctuations in its density and therefore in its refractive index
Derived terms
References
French
Etymology
From opalescent + -ence.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔ.pa.lɛ.sɑ̃s/ ~ /ɔ.pa.le.sɑ̃s/
Noun
opalescence f (plural opalescences)
- opalescence
1899, Archives internationale de neurologie, des maladies héréditaires, de médicine mentale et psychosomatique, page 478:Les méninges minces sur le lobe occipital, plus épaisses à la partie antérieure présentent des opalescences le long des scissures.- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
1893, Revue médicale de la Suisse romande, volume 13, page 336:On procède immédiatement au barbotage dans une solution d’acétate de plomb; il se produit rapidement une opalescence laiteuse par précipitation de carbonate de plomb, puis deux minutes environ après l’injection, le liquide opalescent vire au gris, puis au brun très clair (café au lait).- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Further reading