radiant

adj, noun — 10 senses

radiant

adj

/ˈɹeɪ.di.ənt/

Etymology From Middle English radyant, from Latin radiāns, radiantis, present participle of radiāre (“to emit rays or beams”).

7 senses
  1. 1Radiating light and/or heat.
  2. 2Emitted as radiation.
  3. 3Beaming with vivacity and happiness.
  4. 4Strikingly beautiful.
  5. 5Emitting or proceeding as if from a center.
  6. 6Giving off rays.
  7. 7Having a ray-like appearance, like the large marginal…
1

Radiating light and/or heat.

  • the radiant sun
  • They in ranks / Sat all, where ſtood the fiery ſteeds of each, / And where his radiant arms lay on the field.1791, Homer, “[The Iliad.] Book III.”, in W[illiam] Cowper, transl., The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Translated into Blank Verse, […], volume I, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 79:
1 more example
  • The couple's sustainability efforts also included installing radiant heat under the concrete-slab floor.2026 May 23, Julie Belcove, “Farm Fresh”, in Architectural Digest, volume 83, number 4, page 93:
2

Emitted as radiation.

3

Figuratively Beaming with vivacity and happiness.

  • a radiant face
  • His sister, Mrs. Gerard, stood there in carriage gown and sables, radiant with surprise. ¶ “Phil ! You ! Exactly like you, Philip, to come strolling in from the antipodes—dear fellow !” recovering from the fraternal embrace and holding both lapels of his coat in her gloved hands.1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
1 more example
  • Nurse Cramer had a cute nose and a radiant, blooming complexion dotted with fetching sprays of adorable freckles that Yossarian detested.1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 171:
4

Figuratively Strikingly beautiful.

  • And yet she was ensnaringly beautiful, despite her pride and self-consciousness; radiant and certain of conquest she stood before the man who alone seemed to have neither eye nor ear for charms that had never elsewhere played her false.1893, E. Werner, Clear the Track!, page 94:
5

Emitting or proceeding as if from a center.

6

Government, Heraldry, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Monarchy, Nobility, Politics Of a bearing Giving off rays.

  • the sun radiant
  • a crown radiant
7

Biology, Botany, Natural sciences Having a ray-like appearance, like the large marginal flowers of certain umbelliferous plants; said also of the cluster which has such marginal flowers.

Derived terms
octoradiant, radiance, radiancy, radiant energy, radiant heat, radiantly, radiantness, subradiant, superradiant, unradiant

radiant

noun

Etymology From Middle English radyant, from Latin radiāns, radiantis, present participle of radiāre (“to emit rays or beams”).

1

A point source from which radiation is emitted.

2

Astronomy, Natural sciences The apparent origin, in the night sky, of a meteor shower.

3

Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A straight line proceeding from a given point, or fixed pole, about which it is conceived to revolve.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.