Purkinje effect

noun

The tendency for the peak luminance sensitivity of the human eye to shift toward the blue end of the spectrum at low illumination levels.

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Meanings

nounPurkinje effect (plural Purkinje effects)

plural Purkinje effects · alternative Purkyne effect · alternative Purkyně effect

  1. The tendency for the peak luminance sensitivity of the human eye to shift toward the blue end of the spectrum at low illumination levels.

Origin

Named after Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně (1787–1869).

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Cite this entry
APA

Purkinje effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Purkinje%20effect

MLA

“Purkinje effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Purkinje%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Purkinje effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Purkinje%20effect.

Source: Purkinje effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.