bioluminescence

bi·o·lu·mi·nes·cence
B3I1O1L1U1M3I1N1E1S1C3E1N1C3E1
US/ˌbaɪ̯oʊ̯ˌluməˈnɛsəns/

noun

The emission of light by a living organism (such as a firefly).

OriginEnglish luminescence ← Latin lumen ← Proto-Italic *louksmən →
UncommonScrabble 23
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Meanings

nounbioluminescence (countable and uncountable, plural bioluminescences)

plural bioluminescences

  1. countableuncountablebiochemistryThe emission of light by a living organism (such as a firefly).

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*léwksmn̥
  7. Proto-Italic*louksmən
  8. Latinlumen
  9. Englishluminescence
  10. Englishbioluminescence

From bio- + luminescence.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan bioluminescència
  • bioluminescènciaemission of light by a living organism
Chinese Mandarin 生物發光 /生物发光
  • 生物發光 /生物发光 (shēngwùfāguāng)emission of light by a living organism
Esperanto bioluminesko
  • biolumineskoemission of light by a living organism
Finnish bioluminesenssi
  • bioluminesenssiemission of light by a living organism
French bioluminescence
  • bioluminescenceemission of light by a living organism
German Biolumineszenz
  • Biolumineszenzemission of light by a living organism
Hungarian biolumineszcencia
  • biolumineszcenciaemission of light by a living organism
Icelandic lífljómun
  • lífljómunemission of light by a living organism
Irish bithlonracht
  • bithlonrachtemission of light by a living organism
Italian bioluminescenza
  • bioluminescenzaemission of light by a living organism
Japanese 生物発光
  • 生物発光 (seibutsuhakkō)emission of light by a living organism
Persian زیستتابی
  • زیستتابی (zist-tâbi)emission of light by a living organism
Polish bioluminescencja
  • bioluminescencjaemission of light by a living organism
Portuguese bioluminescência
  • bioluminescênciaemission of light by a living organism
Romanian bioluminescență
  • bioluminescențăemission of light by a living organism
Russian биолюминесце́нция
  • биолюминесце́нция (bioljuminescéncija)emission of light by a living organism
Spanish bioluminiscencia
  • bioluminiscenciaemission of light by a living organism
Swedish bioluminiscens, bioluminescens
  • bioluminiscensemission of light by a living organism
  • bioluminescensemission of light by a living organism
Turkish biyoluminesans
  • biyoluminesansemission of light by a living organism
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“bioluminescence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bioluminescence. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bioluminescence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bioluminescence.

Source: bioluminescence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.