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Kir·li·an photography

(kîrlē-ən)

The process of photographing an object by placing it in an intense electric field and exposing film to the light that results from electronic and ionic interactions of the object with the field. The photograph shows a light, glowing band surrounding the outline of the object.

[After Semyon Davidovich Kirlian (1900-1980), Russian electrician, and his wife Valentina Khrisanovna Kirlian (died 1971), Russian journalist, codiscoverers of the electric effect upon which it is based.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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