counterillumination

noun

A behaviour, found in some cephalopods etc., in which bioluminescence is used to provide camouflage when viewed from below.

OriginEnglish illumination ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
Scrabble 23
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Meanings

nouncounterillumination (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebiologyA behaviour, found in some cephalopods etc., in which bioluminescence is used to provide camouflage when viewed from below.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Englishillumination
  13. Englishcounterillumination

From counter- + illumination.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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