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translucent

 
Dictionary: trans·lu·cent   (trăns-lū'sənt, trănz-) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Transmitting light but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images.
  2. Clear; lucid.

[Latin trānslūcēns, trānslūcent-, present participle of trānslūcēre, to shine through : trāns-, trans- + lūcēre, to shine.]

translucence trans·lu'cence or trans·lu'cen·cy n.
translucently trans·lu'cent·ly adv.

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The quality of being able to see through a material whereby the distant image is hazy or foggy. The terms "translucent" and "transparent" are often used synonymously, but they are not the same. A translucent area in an image would be like looking through frosted or smoked glass to the underlying background. A transparent area would be like looking through clear glass.

Not Well Supported

True translucency is not supported in many graphics formats as an attribute of the image. Although the visual effect of translucency can always be simulated in an image by using an image editing program, the actual translucent area is opaque, and the underlying background does not show through.

Translucency is an advanced technique; for example, Adobe's PostScript and HP's PCL language do not support translucency; however, Adobe's PDF, which came later, does support it. Images formatted with true translucency that are printed in PostScript and PCL are flattened into opaque images that tend to have visual artifacts. See alpha blending.

Translucent Borders
See-through, translucent window borders were one of the eye-candy features in the Aero interface in Windows Vista. Articles about Aero erroneously refer to "transparent windows" more than they do "translucent windows."

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Thesaurus: translucent
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adjective

    Admitting light so that objects beyond can be seen: clear, crystal clear, crystalline, limpid, lucid, pellucid, see-through, transparent. See clear/unclear.

Antonyms: translucent
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adj

Definition: clear
Antonyms: blocked, cloudy, opaque


Architecture: translucent
Top

Descriptive of a material that transmits light but diffuses it sufficiently so that an image cannot be seen through the material clearly.


Word Tutor: translucent
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Almost clear enough to see through.

pronunciation The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind. Hone and spread your spirit, till you yourself are a sail, whetted, translucent, broadside to the merest puff. — Annie Dillard

Translations: Translucent
Top

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - gennemskinnelig, (halv)gennemsigtig

Nederlands (Dutch)
doorschijnend

Français (French)
adj. - translucide

Deutsch (German)
adj. - durchsichtig, durchscheinend

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - (ημι)διαφανής, (ημι)διαυγής

Italiano (Italian)
traslucido

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - translúcido (m)

Русский (Russian)
полупрозрачный, просвечивающий

Español (Spanish)
adj. - translúcido

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - (halv)genomskinlig, translucent, kristallklar (bildl.)

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
半透明的, 清澈的, 透明的, 清楚易懂的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 半透明的, 清澈的, 透明的, 清楚易懂的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 반투명의, 명백한, 투명한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 半透明の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) نصف شفاف, شفافي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮שקוף למחצה‬


 
 
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cathedral glass
albugo
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.
© 1981-2009 Computer Language Company Inc.  All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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