albedo

(al bē)

noun pl. albedos or albedoes

  1. Astron. the reflecting power of a planet, satellite, or asteroid, expressed as a ratio of reflected light to the total amount falling on the surface
  2. Physics the degree to which a surface reflects subnuclear particles, esp. neutrons, that strike it: expressed as the ratio of the number of particles that leave the surface in any direction to the number that strike it

Origin: LL(Ec), whiteness < L albus, white: see elf

See albedo in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. al·be·dos
  1. The fraction of incident electromagnetic radiation reflected by a surface, especially of a celestial body.
  2. The spongy white tissue on the inside of the rind of citrus fruit.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin albēdō, whiteness

Origin: , from Latin albus, white; see albho- in Indo-European roots

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