wunder · Library

Part 11

The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section R · Project Gutenberg — chapter 11 of 470 · ~499 words · public domain

Read in the Wunder reader — free

{ Ra"di*ance (-ans), Ra"di*an*cy (- an*s), } n. The quality of being radiant; brilliancy; effulgence; vivid brightness; as, the radiance of the sun.

Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned.

Milton.

What radiancy of glory, What light beyond compare !

Neale.

Syn. -- Luster; brilliancy; splendor; glare; glitter.

Ra"di*ant (-ant), a. [L. radians, -antis, p. pr. of radiare to emit rays or beams, fr. radius ray: cf. F. radiant. See Radius, Ray a divergent line.] 1. Emitting or proceeding as from a center; resembling rays; radiating; radiate.

2. Especially, emitting or darting rays of light or heat; issuing in beams or rays; beaming with brightness; emitting a vivid light or splendor; as, the radiant sun.

Mark what radiant state she spreads.

Milton.

3. Beaming with vivacity and happiness; as, a radiant face.

4. (Her.) Giving off rays; -- said of a bearing; as, the sun radiant; a crown radiant.

5. (Bot.) Having a raylike appearance, as the large marginal flowers of certain umbelliferous plants; -- said also of the cluster which has such marginal flowers.

Radiant energy (Physics), energy given out or transmitted by radiation, as in the case of light and radiant heat. -- Radiant heat, heat proceeding in right lines, or directly from the heated body, after the manner of light, in distinction from heat conducted or carried by intervening media. -- Radiant point. (Astron.) See Radiant, n., 3.

Ra"di*ant, n. 1. (Opt.) The luminous point or object from which light emanates; also, a body radiating light brightly.

2. (Geom.) A straight line proceeding from a given point, or fixed pole, about which it is conceived to revolve.

3. (Astron.) The point in the heavens at which the apparent paths of shooting stars meet, when traced backward, or whence they appear to radiate.

Ra"di*ant*ly (r"d*ant*l), adv. In a radiant manner; with glittering splendor.

Ra"di*a*ry (-*r), n. [Cf. F. radiaire.] (Zoöl.) A radiate. [Obs.]

||Ra`di*a"ta (-"t), n. pl. [NL., fr. radiatus, p. p. See Radiate.] ||(Zoöl.) An extensive artificial group of invertebrates, having all ||the parts arranged radially around the vertical axis of the body, and ||the various organs repeated symmetrically in each ray or spheromere.

It includes the cœlenterates and the echinoderms. Formerly, the group was supposed to be a natural one, and was considered one of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom.

Ra"di*ate (r"d*t), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Radiated (- `td); p. pr. & vb. n. Radiating.] [L. radiatus, p. p. of radiare to furnish with spokes or rays, to radiate, fr. radius ray. See Radius, Ray a divergent line.] 1. To emit rays; to be radiant; to shine.

Virtues shine more clear In them [kings], and radiate like the sun at noon.

Howell.

2. To proceed in direct lines from a point or surface; to issue in rays, as light or heat.

Light radiates from luminous bodies directly to our eyes.

Locke.

Ra"di*ate, v. t. 1. To emit or send out in direct lines from a point or points; as, to radiate heat.

← Previous chapterAll chaptersNext chapter →

The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section R · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.

© 2026 Wunder Learning LLC · Terms & Privacy