luminousadj.

1471 G. Ripley Compound of Alchymy Pref., in E. Ashmole Theatrum Chem. Britannicum (1652) 121 Whose Luminos Bemes obtundyth our speculation.

?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 113 The frute of oliues is vnctuous, luminose, and delicious.

1590 Cobler of Caunterburie 27 His eies were lumynous, Chrystallyne and beauteous.

1792 M. Riddell Voy. Madeira 20 The phaenomenon of the luminous sea, well known to naturalists.

1835 W. Irving Tour on Prairies 147 As the night thickened the huge fires became more and more luminous.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1191 In circumpolarization it [sugar] bends the luminous rays to the right.

1863 J. Tyndall Heat (1870) i. §11. 11 Here are two quartz-pebbles: I have only to rub them together to make them luminous.

1877 W. H. Balmain Brit. Patent 4152 My invention relates to a method of rendering paints, varnishes, whitewashings, and temperings luminous, and consists in the introduction into ordinary paints, varnishes, or washes of a phosphorescent substance, by which means the object to which the paint, or varnish, or wash is applied is made visible in the dark and more or less capable of imparting light to other objects.

1900 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 58/2 The maples and birches..shone with a strange luminous beauty.

1926 R. W. Lawson tr. G. von Hevesy & F. A. Paneth Man. Radioactivity xxv. 194 These radioactive ‘luminous substances’ differ from the phosphorescent substances formerly used, in that they do not require previous illumination.

1929 Jrnl. Amer. Med. Assoc. 9 Feb. 466/1 (heading) Occupational poisoning in manufacture of luminous watch dials.

1953 R. E. Kirk & D. F. Othmer Encycl. Chem. Technol. X. 658 Of increasing commercial importance are the luminous pigments which produce fluorescent and phosphorescent effects of value in interior decoration, for direction signs and safety devices, television picture tubes, special military applications, and the like.

1958 New Statesman 28 June 846/3 The sins of the hitch-hiking undergraduates were drainpipes, luminous socks, and frying sausages in their bedrooms.

1969 R. F. Lang tr. F. A. Henglein Chem. Technol. 546 Radium salts are used..for manufacturing luminous paint mixed with ZnS and CaS.

1975 K. Barclay tr. P. Orum Whipping-boy xi. 82 My alarm clock has a luminous dial.

1610 G. Fletcher Christs Victorie 76 Their sunny Tents, and houses luminous.

1624 H. Wotton Elements Archit. i. 55 Our Master..seems to haue beene an extreame Louer of Luminous Roomes.

1775 S. Johnson Journey W. Islands 10 The library..is..elegant and luminous.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1777 II. 161 The church of Ashbourne, which is one of the largest and most luminous that I have seen in any town of the same size.

1839 C. Darwin in R. Fitzroy & C. Darwin Narr. Surv. Voy. H.M.S. Adventure & Beagle III. ii. 34 The rings in one instance retained their luminous property nearly twenty-four hours after the death of the insect.

1851 S. P. Woodward Man. Mollusca i. 30 Some of the cuttle-fishes are slightly luminous.

1900 Nature 12 July 264/2 Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist exhibited..four fishes showing luminous organs.

1885 Cassell's Encycl. Dict. V. i. at Pane (1) Luminous pane.

1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVIII. 89/1 The luminous efficiency of any source of light, that is to say, the percentage of rays emitted which affect the eye as light compared with the total radiation, is dependent upon its temperature. In an ordinary oil lamp the luminous rays do not form much more than 3 per cent of the total radiation.

1927 H. N. Russell et al. Astron. II. xvi. 529 The luminous efficiency of sunlight is obtained by dividing the total luminous flux by the total radiant flux..and comes out 100 lumens, or about 8 candles per watt.

1961 P. S. Carnt & G. B. Townsend Colour Television iii. 55 Objects moving across the screen may..leave a yellow trail..as the red and green phosphors continue to glow after the blue phosphor has ceased... The luminous efficiency of these phosphors is low, only a few per cent of the electrical energy being converted into radiant energy... Ten or so lumens per watt can be obtained at 20 kV.