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Phosphorescent vs Lambent - What's the difference?

phosphorescent | lambent |

As adjectives the difference between phosphorescent and lambent

is that phosphorescent is having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away, eg, in electrostatic storage tubes and cathode-ray tubes while lambent is or flickering gently over a surface.

As a noun phosphorescent

is a phosphorescent substance.

phosphorescent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away, e.g., in electrostatic storage tubes and cathode-ray tubes.
  • * 1961 , William S. Burroughs, The Soft Machine , page 11
    • So he imports this special breed of scorpions and feeds them on metal meal and the scorpions turned a phosphorescent blue color and sort of hummed.

    Derived terms

    *phosphorescence *phosphorescently

    Related terms

    *phosphor *phosphoresce *phosphoroscope

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A phosphorescent substance.
    • ----

    lambent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • or flickering gently over a surface.
  • * 1800 , , The Task'', Book VI: "The Winter Walk at Noon", ''Poems , J. Johnson, page 232,
    • No foe to man / Lurks in the ?erpent now: the mother ?ees, / And ?miles to ?ee, her infant's playful hand / Stretch'd forth to dally with the cre?ted worm, / To ?troke his azure neck, or to receive / The lambent homage of his arrowy tongue.
  • * 1977 , , Lord Foul’s Bane , page 77
    • “As they walked together between the houses, Lena’s smooth arm brushed his. His skin felt lambent at the touch.”
  • Glowing or luminous, but lacking heat.
    • The lambent glow of fireflies delighted the children.
  • * 1839 , , Black and Armstrong, page 127,
    • The Witch, with much ceremony, fills the basin. As FAUST is about to raise it to his lips, it emits a clear flame.
    MEPHISTOPHELES. Quick! quickly down with it!—no breathing time allowed! […] And does a lambent flame prevent thee quaff?
  • *
  • Exhibiting lightness or brilliance of wit; clever or witty without unkindness.
    • We appreciated her lambent comments.

    Antonyms

    * (light wit) biting, cutting

    Derived terms

    * lambency * lambently ----