translucent
adjective
Newsweek
Did you know?
Look closely and you will see the same group of three letters in translucent and elucidate, letting the family relationship between the two words shine through. Both terms descend from the Latin word lucēre, meaning "to shine." (Translucent is from lucēre plus trans-, which means "through.") When you elucidate something, you make it clear by explaining it in a way that can be easily understood—you shed light on it. Lucēre is also the root of another bright and shining English word, lucid, which can mean either "bright with light" or "clear and easy to understand."
Example Sentences
Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2022 The front hood area, which Curic calls a jewel box, is translucent and creates a feeling of transparency and light. Laura Burstein, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2022 The European worms, on the other hand, have more of a red-brown coloring, though the pigmentation is much less vibrant and can sometimes appear almost translucent. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 26 July 2022 This skin is typically air-dried for a couple of days before it’s sliced and cooked in lard, carnitas-style, until the cut is almost translucent. Washington Post, 15 June 2022 What’s more, for the first several days of life, the spiders’ exoskeleton is translucent, so those eye tubes are visible inside their head. Betsy Mason, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2022 Because the marble, which was used in building the Taj Mahal, is translucent, light passes through the vases. Kathy Orton, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Add turmeric and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent, another 2 to 3 minutes. People Staff, PEOPLE.com, 1 Aug. 2022 Cook, stirring, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, 20 July 2022 See More Word History
Latin translucent-, translucens, present participle of translucēre to shine through, from trans- + lucēre to shine — more at light
1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
translucent
adjective
Medical Definition
translucent
adjective
translucent
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- transparent
- liquid
- crystal
- diaphanous
- fragile
- see-through
- sheer
- lucid
- gossamer
- crystalline
- gauzy
- filmy
- clear
- delicate
- limpid
- lucent
- pellucid
- gauzelike
- cobwebby
- peekaboo
- colorless
- flimsy
- gossamery
- insubstantial
- uncolored
- dainty
- unsubstantial
- frail
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- opaque
- cloudy
- hazy
- smoky
- misty
- foggy
- murky
- nebulous
- dull
- drab
- smokey
- lackluster
- lusterless
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of translucent are clear, limpid, and transparent. While all these words mean "capable of being seen through," translucent implies the passage of light but not a clear view of what lies beyond.
The meanings of clear and translucent largely overlap; however, clear implies absence of cloudiness, haziness, or muddiness.
In some situations, the words limpid and translucent are roughly equivalent. However, limpid suggests the soft clearness of pure water.
The synonyms transparent and translucent are sometimes interchangeable, but transparent implies being so clear that objects can be seen distinctly.