Noctilucent
/ˌnɒk.tɪˈluː.sənt/noun
Shining or glowing at night, especially describing high-altitude clouds visible after sunset.
Did you know?Noctilucent clouds are so high in the atmosphere that they can catch sunlight long after sunset, making them one of the most eerie and beautiful examples of a word that sounds magical but is scientifically exact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nókʷts
“night”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewk-
“to shine, gleam, be bright”
Latin
Latin
nox, noctis
“night”
Latin
Latin
lucēre
“to shine, give light”
Late Latin / Modern Scientific English
Latin/English
noctilucent
“shining at night”