chemiluminescence
noun
chemi·lu·mi·nes·cence ˌke-mē-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊn(t)s 
ˌkē-
: luminescence (such as bioluminescence) due to chemical reaction
chemiluminescent
ˌke-mē-ˌlü-mə-ˈne-sᵊnt
adjective ˌkē-
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Chemiluminescenz, from chemi- (extracted from chemisch "chemical," from Chemie "chemistry" + -isch -ish, after New Latin chemicus, Medieval Latin chimicus chemic) + Luminescenz luminescence
Note: The term was introduced by the German physicist Elhard Wiedemann (1852-1928) in "Ueber Fluorescenz und Phosphorescenz, I. Abhandlung," Annalen der Physik und Chemie, Neue Folge, Band 34 (1888), pp. 447-48.
First Known Use
1889, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
chemiluminescence
noun
che·mi·lu·mi·nes·cence ˌkem-i-ˌlü-mə-ˈnes-ᵊn(t)s, ˌkē-mi-
: luminescence (as bioluminescence) due to chemical reaction usually at low temperatures