irradiation

[ ih-rey-dee-ey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for irradiation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of irradiating.

  2. the state of being irradiated.

  1. intellectual or spiritual enlightenment.

  2. a ray of light; beam.

  3. Optics. the apparent enlargement of an object when seen against a dark background.

  4. the use of x-rays or other forms of radiation for the treatment of disease, the making of x-ray photographs, the manufacture of vitamin D, etc.

  5. exposure or the process of exposure to x-rays or other radiation.

  6. Physics. irradiance.

Origin of irradiation

1
First recorded in 1580–90, irradiation is from the Late Latin word irradiātiōn- (stem of irradiātiō). See ir-1, radiation

Other words from irradiation

  • post·ir·ra·di·a·tion, adjective

Words Nearby irradiation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use irradiation in a sentence

  • But an irradiation in the other direction is, unfortunately, at least as likely, if not more so.

  • Twenty minutes after the irradiation period, the radioactivity of the calcium standards is measured by the same instrument.

    The Atomic Fingerprint | Bernard Keisch
  • The irradiation is resumed so that a uniform dose of neutrons bombards the patient from both front and back.

    The Atomic Fingerprint | Bernard Keisch
  • When the irradiation is first begun, the number of radioactive atoms increases steadily.

    The Atomic Fingerprint | Bernard Keisch
  • This will be true no matter where in the reactor or for how long the irradiation took place.

    The Atomic Fingerprint | Bernard Keisch
  • A woman who was sitting inside the cottage had seen and recognized her in that momentary irradiation.

    Return of the Native | Thomas Hardy

British Dictionary definitions for irradiation

irradiation

/ (ɪˌreɪdɪˈeɪʃən) /


noun
  1. the act or process of irradiating or the state of being irradiated

  2. the apparent enlargement of a brightly lit object when it is viewed against a dark background

  1. a shaft of light; beam or ray

  2. med

    • the therapeutic or diagnostic use of radiation, esp X-rays

    • exposure of a patient to such radiation

  3. another name for radiation, irradiance

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