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)

Allowing light to pass through, but diffusing it.
- 1913, Louis Joseph Vance, The Day of Days, ch. 1:
  The window-panes, encrusted with perennial deposits of Atmosphere, were less transparent than translucent.
- 1921, P. G. Wodehouse, Jill the Reckless, ch. 21:
  On the windows of the nearer buildings the sun cast glittering beams, but further away a faint, translucent mist hid the city.
Clear, lucid, or transparent.
- 1884, Henry J. Ramsdell, Life and Public Services of Hon. James G. Blaine, Hubbard, pp. 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 10768944, 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, The Lords of the Wild, ch. 3:
  [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)
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

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

third-person plural present active indicative of trānslūceō