Meanings
nounnoctiluca (countable and uncountable, plural noctilucae or noctilucas)
plural noctilucae · plural noctilucas
- countableobsoleteuncountableA firefly, glowworm.
If a number of noctilucas are punctured with a needle, causing the cells to collapse, and are then subjected to an interrupted current, they respond just as uninjured cells do.
1917, Papers from the Department of Marine Biology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington - countableobsoleteuncountableThe moon
- countableobsoleteuncountableA phosphorescent substance
- countableuncountableNoctiluca scintillans (sea sparkle).
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinnoctilūca
- Englishnoctiluca
From Latin noctilūca.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
noctiluca. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noctiluca
MLA
“noctiluca.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noctiluca. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “noctiluca,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noctiluca.
Source: noctiluca on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.