| Title | luminosity |
|---|---|
| Text |
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lu·mi·nos·i·ty (plural -ties) DATE 1634 1. a. the quality or state of being luminous b. something luminous 2. a. the relative quantity of light b. relative brightness of something 3. the relative quantity of radiation emitted by a celestial source (as a star) English Etymology luminosity 1630s, "quality of being luminous," from luminous. In astronomy sense of "intrinsic brightness of a heavenly body" (as distinguished from apparent magnitude, which diminishes with distance), attested from 1906. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged lu·mi·nos·i·ty \ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈnäsəd.ē, -ətē, -i\ noun (-es) Etymology: from luminous, after such pairs as English curious : curiosity 1. a. : the quality or state of being luminous < the rare few … who give to accurate reporting the luminosity of poetry — D.C.Peattie > b. : something luminous < mind is a constant luminosity — John Dewey > 2. a. : the relative quantity of light b. : brightness 2a3. : the quantity of radiation emitted by a star or other celestial source usually expressed in terms of the sun's intensity or in centimeter-gram-second units 4. : the luminous efficiency of radiant energy : the ratio of light to heat in radiant energy — used in psychophysics |
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