translucent

English

Etymology

From Latin translucentem, accusative of translucens, present participle of translucere, from trans (“through”) and lucere (“to shine”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /tɹænz.ˈluː.sənt/　
• (US) IPA^(key): /tɹænz.ˈlu.sənt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

A translucent window curtain.

translucent (comparative more translucent, superlative most translucent)

1. Allowing light to pass through, but diffusing it.
   • 1913, Louis Joseph Vance, chapter 1, in The Day of Days:

     The window-panes, encrusted with perennial deposits of Atmosphere, were less transparent than translucent.

   • 1921, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 21, in Jill the Reckless:

     On the windows of the nearer buildings the sun cast glittering beams, but further away a faint, translucent mist hid the city.

2. Clear, lucid, or transparent.
   • 1884, Henry J. Ramsdell, Life and Public Services of Hon. James G. Blaine‎^[1], Hubbard, pages 105–106:

     Mr. Blaine's powers and disposition shone resplendent. . . . the gavel in his practised hand, chiming in with varied tones that aptly enforced his words, from the sharp rat-tat-tat that recalled the House to decorum, to the vigorous thunder that actually drowned unparliamentary speech; rulings, repartee, translucent explanation flashing from his lips as quick as lighting.

   • 1904 June 11 and 18, Gilbert K[eith] Chesterton, “The Singular Speculation of the House-agent”, in The Club of Queer Trades, New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, published April 1905, →OCLC, pages 151–152:

     I thought you'd come round to my view, but I own I was startled at your not seeing it from the beginning. The man is a translucent liar and knave.

   • 1919, Joseph A. Altsheler, chapter 3, in The Lords of the Wild:

     [T]he sun was in its greatest splendor, and the air was absolutely translucent. The lake and the mountains sprang out, sharp and clear.

Coordinate terms

• opaque
• transparent

Related terms

• translucence
• translucency

Translations

allowing light to pass through, but diffusing it

• Bulgarian: прозиращ (bg) (prozirašt), полупрозрачен (poluprozračen)
• Catalan: translúcid
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 半透明 (zh) (bàntòumíng)

• Czech: průsvitný (cs)
• Dutch: doorschijnend (nl), lichtdoorlatend, verstrooiend (nl)
• Esperanto: diafana
• Finnish: läpikuultava (fi)
• French: translucide (fr)
• Galician: translúcido
• German: lichtdurchlässig (de); transparent (de), transluzent
• Greek: ημιδιαφανής (el) (imidiafanís)

  Ancient: διαυγής (diaugḗs)

• Gujarati: અર્ધપારદર્શક (ardhapārdarśak)
• Hungarian: áttetsző (hu)
• Italian: traslucido (it)
• Japanese: 半透明な (ja) (はんとうめいな, hantōmei-na)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: nîvçezelal, nîvçeron

• Luxembourgish: transparent
• Macedonian: полупроѕирен (poluprodziren)
• Malay: lutcahaya
• Maori: whakatiaho, kōrahirahi
• Piedmontese: tralusent
• Polish: przeświecający, półprzezroczysty (pl)
• Portuguese: translúcido (pt), diáfano (pt)
• Russian: просве́чивающий (ru) (prosvéčivajuščij), полупрозра́чный (ru) (poluprozráčnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: trìd-shoillseach
• Spanish: translúcido (es)
• Tagalog: nganinagin, nanganganinag, mainag
• Thai: โปร่งแสง
• Turkish: buzlu (tr), yarı saydam (tr), yarı şeffaf
• Ukrainian: напівпрозо́рий (napivprozóryj, literally “semitransparent”), світлопроникни́й (svitlopronyknýj, literally “light-permeable”)

clear, lucid, or transparent

• Catalan: translúcid
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (clear, lucid) 清楚 (zh) (qīngchu), (transparent) 透明 (zh) (tòumíng)

• Czech: průsvitný (cs)
• Finnish: läpikuultava (fi), kirkas (fi)
• German: luzid (de)
• Greek: διαφανής (el) (diafanís), διαυγής (el) (diavgís)

  Ancient Greek: διαφανής (diaphanḗs)

• Japanese: 澄んだ (sunda)
• Luxembourgish: transparent
• Maori: kōrahirahi
• Piedmontese: tralusent
• Polish: jasny (pl), przejrzysty (pl)
• Portuguese: claro (pt)
• Russian: прозра́чный (ru) (prozráčnyj), я́сный (ru) (jásnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: trìd-shoillseach
• Spanish: claro (es)
• Turkish: saydam (tr), şeffaf (tr)

Latin

Verb

trānslūcent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of trānslūceō