radiant Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite radiating or as if radiating light
    effulgent; beamy; beaming; refulgent.
    • the beaming sun
    • the effulgent daffodils
    • a radiant sunrise
    • a refulgent sunset

WordNet

Ra"di*ant adjective
Etymology
L. radians, -antis, p. pr. of radiare to emit rays or beams, fr. radius ray: cf. F. radiant. See Radius, Ray a divergent line.
Definitions
  1. Emitting or proceeding as from a center; U.S. rays; radiating; radiate.
  2. Especially, emitting or darting rays of light or heat; issuing in beams or rays; beaming with brightness; emitting a vivid light or splendor; as, the radiant sun.
    Mark what radiant state she spreads. Milton.
  3. Beaming with vivacity and happiness; as, a radiant face.
  4. (Her.) Giving off rays; -- said of a bearing; as, the sun radiant; a crown radiant.
  5. (Bot.) Having a raylike appearance, as the large marginal flowers of certain umbelliferous plants; -- said also of the cluster which has such marginal flowers.
Ra"di*ant noun
Definitions
  1. (Opt.) The luminous point or object from which light emanates; also, a body radiating light brightly.
  2. (Geom.) A straight line proceeding from a given point, or fixed pole, about which it is conceived to revolve.
  3. (Astron.) The point in the heavens at which the apparent paths of shooting stars meet, when traced backward, or whence they appear to radiate.

Webster 1913