verb
- past tense of phosphoresce; to emit light without heat, especially as a result of previous exposure to radiation
Usage: transitive or intransitive; technical/scientific context
Examples
- The paint on the watch dial phosphoresced in the dark.
- After being exposed to sunlight, the mineral phosphoresced faintly throughout the night.
- The scientist observed how the sample phosphoresced under ultraviolet light.
- The glow-in-the-dark toy phosphoresced for several hours after the lights were turned off.
- Certain deep-sea creatures phosphoresced to attract prey in the darkness.