radiation
pronunciation
How to pronounce radiation in British English:
UK [ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn]
How to pronounce radiation in American English:
US [ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn]
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- Noun:
- energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles
- the act of spreading outward from a central source
- syndrome resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., exposure to radioactive chemicals or to nuclear explosions); low doses cause diarrhea and nausea and vomiting and sometimes loss of hair; greater exposure can cause sterility and cataracts an
- the spontaneous emission of a stream of particles or electromagnetic rays in nuclear decay
- the spread of a group of organisms into new habitats
- a radial arrangement of nerve fibers connecting different parts of the brain
- (medicine) the treatment of disease (especially cancer) by exposure to radiation from a radioactive substance
Word Origin
- radiation (n.)
- mid-15c., "act or process of radiating," from Middle French radiation and directly from Latin radiationem (nominative radiatio) "a shining, radiation," noun of action from past participle stem of radiare "to beam, shine, gleam; make beaming," from radius "beam of light; spoke of a wheel" (see radius). Meaning "rays or beams emitted" is from 1560s. Meaning "divergence from a center" is 1650s.
Example
- 1. Cigarette smoke and radiation also produce free radicals .
- 2. Treatment options for acoustic neuroma include regular monitoring , radiation and surgical removal .
- 3. Everyone knows radiation has no known beneficial uses .
- 4. The blue color here represents radiation pouring out from material very close to the black hole .
- 5. But all radiation is not created equal .