Meanings
plural incandescences
- uncountableusuallythe light so emitted
- broadlyuncountableusuallygreat emotion, especially anger
That sensual triggering which is to awaken them into the incandescence of Gay Consciousness to which world of Spirit a loving sexual flowering is both "open sesame" and Gateway.
1983 April 16, Harry Hay, “Peter Pans”, in Gay Community News, page 4
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchincandescence
- Englishincandescence
Borrowed from French incandescence. Morphologically incandesce + -ence.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَوَهُّج
- تَوَهُّج (tawahhuj)emission of visible light by a hot body
French incandescence
- incandescenceemission of visible light by a hot body
Italian incandescenza
- incandescenzaemission of visible light by a hot body
Polish żarzenie
- żarzenieemission of visible light by a hot body
Swedish glöd, glödning
- glödemission of visible light by a hot body
- glödningemission of visible light by a hot body
Tagalog pagbabaga
- pagbabagaemission of visible light by a hot body
Cite this entry
incandescence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incandescence
“incandescence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incandescence. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “incandescence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/incandescence.
Source: incandescence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.