lucifer, luci- +

(Latin: light-bearing, light producing, emitting light)

Lucifer (s) (noun) (usually no plural)
1. The morning star; the planet Venus when she appears in the sky before sunrise: Victor's mother always enjoyed getting up early so that she could see Lucifer in the sky before daylight.
2. The rebel archangel whose fall from heaven was supposed to be referred to in Isaiah xiv. 12 (in the Old Testament Bible): Satan, the Devil was interpreted by some to be Lucifer.
3. Etymology: "light-bearing", "light-bringer", or "bringing light" from Latin lux, lucis, "light" + ferre, "to carry".

In Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions; he was the chief spirit of evil and the adversary of God; and a master of Hell.

Belief that Lucifer was the proper name of Satan began with its reference in the Bible to translate Greek Phosphoros, which translates Hebrew Helel ben Shahar in Isaiah xiv.12: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" [King James Version]. The verse was interpreted by Christians as a reference to "Satan", because of the mention of a fall from Heaven.

luciferase (s), luciferases (pl) (noun forms)
1. An enzyme that aids the oxidation of luciferin in the cells of organisms that emit light.
2. An enzyme which is present in fireflies.
3. A group of enzymes that produce bioluminescence by oxidizing luciferin.
4. An enzyme that catalyzes, in the presence of adenosine triphosphate, the transfer of an electron from luciferin to oxygen, with the emission of light.

The reaction is the basis of the bioluminescence which occurs in fireflies, glow worms, certain bacteria, and some fungi.

luciferin
1. A substance found in the cells of bioluminescent organisms; such as, glowworms and fireflies, that on oxidation emits bluish-green light with very little heat.
2. Any of several substances involved in the emission of light by a living organism.

Luciferins are chemically diverse, depending on the organism. They are oxidized enzymically (with luciferase) by molecular oxygen to form a product in an electronically excited state. This product can lose its excitation with emission of light.

luciferous
1. Light-producing; bioluminescent.
2. That which brings, conveys, or emits light.
3. Affording illumination or insight; luminous, illuminating.
4. Bringing or emitting light.
Luciferphobia (s) (noun) (no plural)
1. A terror of what is perceived to be Satan and his Satanic powers of evil: In the story Jane was reading, one of the characters had Luiferphobia, because of his horror of the dominance of supremacy of the devil!
2. A fear of what is believed to be the forces of the Devil or Satan: In his religion class at school, Jeff learned that some people connect the powers of very evil spirits or Lucifer with their daily lives and therefore suffer from Luciferphobia.
lucific
Light-producing.
luciform
1. Having the character of light, luminous; applied specifically to the "vehicle" of the soul that was imagined by the Neo-Platonists.
2. Sometimes a reference to the spiritual body of the Resurrection.
lucifugal (adjective), more lucifugal, most lucifugal
1. Intolerant of light.
2. Shunning or avoiding light.
oxyluciferin
1. The activated derivative of luciferin formed in bioluminescence.
2. The oxidized form of any luciferin.

It is produced by enzymic oxidation of a luciferin, the enzyme being a luciferase. This oxididation forms a molecule of oxyluciferin in an electronically excited state, and the molecule can fall to its ground state on emission of a quantum of light.

The wavelength of the light emitted is determined by the nature of both the oxyluciferin and the luciferase to which it is bound.

A list of related "light, shining, glow" units: luco-; lumen-, lum-; luna, luni-, lustr-, phengo-, pheno-, phospho-, photo-; scinti-, scintill-.