Describes something that shines a little in the dark and gives off almost no heat — not a fire, more a cold ghost-light. Glow-in-the-dark paint, some minerals, some sea creatures. Scientists are picky: the thing should keep glowing after the light that “charged” it is gone. Everyday speakers just mean “it glows in the dark”. One surprise worth saying out loud: phosphorus, the element, is not phosphorescent, even though the words look as if they must go together. Some mixes with phosphorus can light up from a chemical reaction, but that is a different kind of glow. Rarely, people use phosphorescent as a noun for a glowing substance; the adjective is the usual meeting place.

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