irradiate
to shed rays of light upon; illuminate.
to illumine intellectually or spiritually.
to brighten as if with light.
to radiate (light, illumination, etc.).
to heat with radiant energy.
to treat by exposure to radiation, as of ultraviolet light.
to expose to radiation.
Archaic.
to emit rays; shine.
to become radiant.
irradiated; bright.
Origin of irradiate
1Other words from irradiate
- ir·ra·di·at·ing·ly, adverb
- ir·ra·di·a·tive, adjective
- ir·ra·di·a·tor, noun
- non·ir·ra·di·at·ed, adjective
- un·ir·ra·di·at·ed, adjective
- un·ir·ra·di·a·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use irradiate in a sentence
Its presence transforms discord into harmony, irradiates gloom, and evokes rare flowers from the murky soil of discontent.
The Reconstructed School | Francis B. PearsonThe study of Philosophy irradiates the world for us, increasing our sense of the beauty that is in it.
Beauty and the Beast | Stewart A. McDowallThe man whose soul operates with energy is like a poor glowworm, which without knowing it irradiates light from every pore.
The Physiology of Marriage, Complete | Honore de BalzacA great passion for freedom and righteousness irradiates like a central light the whole memorable document.
William Lloyd Garrison | Archibald H. GrimkeNot a gleam of humour ever irradiates for a moment the pages of the former.
The Secret Life | Elizabeth Bisland
British Dictionary definitions for irradiate
/ (ɪˈreɪdɪˌeɪt) /
(tr) physics to subject to or treat with light or other electromagnetic radiation or with beams of particles
(tr) to expose (food) to electromagnetic radiation to kill bacteria and retard deterioration
(tr) to make clear or bright intellectually or spiritually; illumine
a less common word for radiate (def. 1)
(intr) obsolete to become radiant
Derived forms of irradiate
- irradiative, adjective
- irradiator, noun
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
Scientific definitions for irradiate
[ ĭ-rā′dē-āt′ ]
To expose to or treat with radiation. For example, meat sold as food is often irradiated with x-rays or other radiation to kill bacteria; uranium 238 can be irradiated with neutrons to create fissionable plutonium 239.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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