English Explanatory Dictionary

evanescent

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Disappearing, vanishing.
  2. Of an oscillating electric or magnetic field: not propagating as an electromagnetic wave but having its energy spatially concentrated in the vicinity of its source.
  3. Of a number or value: diminishing to the point of reaching zero as a limit; infinitesimal.
  4. Barely there; almost imperceptible.
  5. Ephemeral, fleeting, momentary.
  6. Of plant parts: shed after a period.

Pronunciation

/ɛvəˈnɛs(ə)nt/ /iːvə-/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-AcpoKrane-evanescent.wav /ˌɛvəˈnɛsənt/

Word forms

evanescent more evanescent most evanescent

Etymology

Borrowed from French évanescent (“evanescent”), from Latin ēvānēscēns (“disappearing, vanishing”), present participle of ēvānēscō (“to disappear, vanish; to die out, fade away; to lapse”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away, out’)) + vānēscō (“to vanish”) (from vānus (“empty, vacant, void”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“to abandon, leave”)) + -ēscō (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to become’)).

Antonyms

nonevanescent earthly ephemeral brief deciduous evanescent fleeting flying fugacious fugitive instant momentary passing perishable quick seasonable short short-lived temporary transient transitive transitory volatile whilend worldly

Related words

evanesce

Derived words

evanescence evanescently multiple evanescent white dot syndrome nonevanescent unevanescent

Translations

Bulgarian: намаляващ Bulgarian: изчезващ Catalan: evanescent Chinese Mandarin: 消逝 Dutch: verdwijnend Dutch: verzwindend French: évanescent Italian: evanescente Italian: indistinto Māori: memeha Occitan: evanescent Occitan: fugidís
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