irradiate

[ verb ih-rey-dee-eyt; adjective ih-rey-dee-it, -eyt ]
See synonyms for irradiate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),ir·ra·di·at·ed, ir·ra·di·at·ing.
  1. to shed rays of light upon; illuminate.

  2. to illumine intellectually or spiritually.

  1. to brighten as if with light.

  2. to radiate (light, illumination, etc.).

  3. to heat with radiant energy.

  4. to treat by exposure to radiation, as of ultraviolet light.

  5. to expose to radiation.

verb (used without object),ir·ra·di·at·ed, ir·ra·di·at·ing.
  1. Archaic.

    • to emit rays; shine.

    • to become radiant.

adjective
  1. irradiated; bright.

Origin of irradiate

1
1595–1605; <Latin irradiātus, past participle of irradiāre to shine upon. See ir-1, radiate

Other 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

  • A sprite of a child entered; a perfect sunbeam irradiating the whole room.

    The Millionaire Baby | Anna Katharine Green
  • I'm sure Mr. James could, write a novel of Menlo Park; he just revels in irradiating nothing with genius.

    The Californians | Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton
  • With a flicker of hope irradiating his features, Cap'n Sproul inquired for details.

  • The afternoon sun shines brightly against the bathing pavilion, irradiating its red and yellow brick.

  • She stood in the open doorway and the sunlight streamed through it, irradiating her wonderful beauty.

    The Sun Maid | Evelyn Raymond

British Dictionary definitions for irradiate

irradiate

/ (ɪˈreɪdɪˌeɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) physics to subject to or treat with light or other electromagnetic radiation or with beams of particles

  2. (tr) to expose (food) to electromagnetic radiation to kill bacteria and retard deterioration

  1. (tr) to make clear or bright intellectually or spiritually; illumine

  2. a less common word for radiate (def. 1)

  3. (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

irradiate

[ ĭ-rādē-āt′ ]


  1. 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.