infrared
adjective
in·fra·red
| \ ˌin-frə-ˈred
, -(ˌ)frä-, -fə-\
, -(ˌ)frä-, -fə-\
Definition of infrared
1
: situated outside the visible spectrum at its red end
—used of radiation having a wavelength between about 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter
2
: relating to, producing, or employing infrared radiation
infrared therapy
3
: sensitive to infrared radiation
infrared sensors that detect body heat
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Examples of infrared in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So one team of astronomers used data from 100 hours of observations by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which focuses on infrared light, to study LHS 3844b, a nearby exoplanet which is 1.3 times Earth’s diameter. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "This rocky ‘super-Earth’ may be a hard place for life to get a foothold," 19 Aug. 2019 Do and his colleagues used the Keck telescopes on the top of Hawaii's Mauna Kea, which have the power to see the world in near infrared light. — Fox News, "Black hole at Milky Way's center seen behaving strangely," 15 Aug. 2019 Internally, the Viper uses infrared light for its optical switches – rather than traditional mechanical switches – to transfer player's moves, slicing precious fractions of milliseconds from gesture to on-screen response. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Video game accessories let you fine tune the feel, sound and seat of your game," 13 Aug. 2019 However, the effect is typically limited to specific wavelengths: microwaves, infrared light, or certain frequencies of sound or heat waves. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Novel “invisibility cloaks” for water waves leave no telltale wakes or drag," 13 Aug. 2019 While similar in operation to radar, LiDAR relies upon pulses of infrared light rather than the radio waves upon which radar depends. — Lyndon Conrad Bell, Houston Chronicle, "Audi Autonomous Driving partners with Silicon Valley," 20 July 2019 These devices shine an infrared light into your eyes and follow the movement of your pupils, like a cursor on a screen. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Comcast Now Lets You Control Your TV With Your Eyes," 17 June 2019 In this way, your infrared camera may be able to detect the presence of specific molecules, such as water. — Chris Gunn, National Geographic, "Dear James Webb Space Telescope: How you will show us the future," 23 July 2019 The Buk’s infrared camera would have created a heat silhouette of the target, which in the case of a Boeing 777 is unmistakable. — David Satter, WSJ, "Hold Russia Accountable for MH17," 26 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infrared.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for infrared
infrared
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of infrared
technical
: producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light
See the full definition for infrared in the English Language Learners Dictionary
infrared
adjective
in·fra·red
| \ ˌin-frə-ˈred
\
\
Kids Definition of infrared
: being, relating to, or producing rays like light but lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end
infrared
adjective
in·fra·red
| \ ˌin-frə-ˈred
\
\
Medical Definition of infrared
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end
—used of radiation having a wavelength between about 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter
2
: relating to, producing, or employing infrared radiation
infrared therapy
infrared
nounMedical Definition of infrared (Entry 2 of 2)
: infrared radiation
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