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albedo

 - 4 dictionary results

al⋅be⋅do

[al-bee-doh]
–noun, plural -dos.
1. Astronomy. the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it.
2. Meteorology. such a ratio for any part of the earth's surface or atmosphere.
3. the white, inner rind of a citrus fruit.

Origin:
1855–60; < LL albēdō whiteness, equiv. to alb(us) white + -ēdō n. suffix; cf. torpedo
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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al·be·do   (āl-bē'dō)   
n.   pl. al·be·dos
  1. The fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation reflected by a surface, especially of a celestial body.

  2. The spongy white tissue on the inside of the rind of citrus fruit.


[Late Latin albēdō, whiteness, from Latin albus, white; see albho- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

albedo 
"ratio of light reflected from a surface," 1859, from L., lit. "whiteness," from albus "white" (see alb).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: al·be·do
Pronunciation: al-'bEd-(")O
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -dos
: the fraction of incidentlight or electromagnetic radiation that is reflected by a surface or body (as the moon or the skin) albedo control the amount of light received by the eye—K. J. K. Buettner>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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