noctiluca noun. [nɒktɪ'lu:kǝ] Pl. -cae [-ki:]. LME.
[mod. Latin from Latin = lantern, moon: cf. NOCTILUCENT.]
1. A glow-worm. Only in LME.

2. The moon. rare. Only in E17.

3. Alchemy. A kind of phosphorescent substance. L17-E18.

4. Biology. A roughly spherical marine dinoflagellate of the genus Noctiluca, which is strongly phosphorescent, esp. when disturbed. M19.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲