Candescent
/kænˈdɛsənt/noun
Glowing or shining with a steady light, especially from heat.
Did you know?Candescent comes from Latin candēscere, “to begin to glow white-hot,” from candēre, “to shine,” a root also tied to the idea of white brilliance in the ancient world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱand-
“to shine, glow”
Latin
Latin
candēre
“to shine, be white, glow”
Latin
Latin
candēscere
“to begin to shine or glow white-hot”
14th Century
English
candescent
“glowing or shining with heat or light”
Modern English
English
candescent
“shining brightly, especially with a hot, steady light”