albedo

See also: Albedo and albédo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin albēdō (“whiteness”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ælˈbi.doʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo (countable and uncountable, plural albedos or albedoes)

1. (physics, meteorology, astronomy, optics) The fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body, commonly expressed as a percentage.
   • 2022 August 10, Gareth Dennis, “How can we run trains when the heat is on?”, in RAIL, number 963, page 45:

     For track, painting rails white at weak points that are more prone to buckling (where the 'critical rail temperature' is close to the 'stress free temperature' [...]) increases their albedo and can help slow how quickly they heat up, reducing their temperature by perhaps five degrees or so.

2. (botany) The whitish inner portion of the rind of citrus fruits that is a source of pectin, commonly referred to as the pith.
3. (alchemy) One of the four major stages of the magnum opus, involving purification of the prima materia.

   Synonym: leucosis

   Coordinate terms: nigredo, citrinitas, rubedo

Usage notes

Albedo is to be distinguished from reflectivity, which refers to one specific wavelength (monochromatic radiation).

Derived terms

• albedo feature
• albedometer
• ice-albedo feedback
• terrestrial albedo

Translations

fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body

• Arabic: عَاكِسِيَّة f (ʕākisiyya), وَضَاءَة f (waḍāʔa)
• Catalan: albedo m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 反照率 (zh) (fǎnzhàolǜ)

• Finnish: heijastussuhde
• French: albédo (fr) m
• German: Albedo (de) f
• Greek: άλβεδό n (álvedó)
• Hindi: धवलता (hi) (dhavaltā), प्रकाशानुपात (prakāśānupāt)
• Inuktitut: ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖅ ᒪᓂᕋᒥᙶᖅᑐᖅ
• Italian: albedo (it) f
• Japanese: 反射能 (はんしゃのう, hanshanō), アルベド (arubedo)
• Korean: 반사율 (ko) (bansayul), 알베도 (ko) (albedo)
• Malay: albedo
• Persian: سپیدایی (fa) (sepidâyi)
• Polish: albedo (pl) n
• Portuguese: albedo (pt) m
• Romanian: albedo (ro)
• Russian: альбе́до (ru) n (alʹbédo)
• Spanish: albedo (es) m
• Tamil: எதிரொளிதிறன் (ta) (etiroḷitiṟaṉ), வெண் எகிர்சிதறல் (veṇ ekircitaṟal)
• Turkish: yansıtabilirlik (tr)
• Vietnamese: suất phản chiếu

part of citrus fruit rind

• Finnish: aluskuori
• French: ziste (fr) m, albédo (fr) m
• Korean: 귤락 (gyullak)
• Occitan: albedo m
• Polish: albedo (pl) n
• Portuguese: medula (pt) f
• Spanish: albédine f

References

• “albedo”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• Baldeo, beload, doable

Esperanto

Etymology

Derived from Latin albēdō (“whiteness”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /alˈbedo/
• Rhymes: -edo
• Hyphenation: al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo (accusative singular albedon, plural albedoj, accusative plural albedojn)

1. (physics) albedo

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin albēdō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑlbedo/, [ˈɑ̝lbe̞do̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑlbedo
• Hyphenation^(key): al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo

1. albedo

Declension

Inflection of albedo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		albedo	albedot
genitive		albedon	albedojen
partitive		albedoa	albedoja
illative		albedoon	albedoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		albedo	albedot
accusative	nom.	albedo	albedot
	gen.	albedon
genitive		albedon	albedojen
partitive		albedoa	albedoja
inessive		albedossa	albedoissa
elative		albedosta	albedoista
illative		albedoon	albedoihin
adessive		albedolla	albedoilla
ablative		albedolta	albedoilta
allative		albedolle	albedoille
essive		albedona	albedoina
translative		albedoksi	albedoiksi
abessive		albedotta	albedoitta
instructive		—	albedoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of albedo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative albedoni albedoni accusative nom. albedoni albedoni gen. albedoni genitive albedoni albedojeni partitive albedoani albedojani inessive albedossani albedoissani elative albedostani albedoistani illative albedooni albedoihini adessive albedollani albedoillani ablative albedoltani albedoiltani allative albedolleni albedoilleni essive albedonani albedoinani translative albedokseni albedoikseni abessive albedottani albedoittani instructive — — comitative — albedoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative albedosi albedosi accusative nom. albedosi albedosi gen. albedosi genitive albedosi albedojesi partitive albedoasi albedojasi inessive albedossasi albedoissasi elative albedostasi albedoistasi illative albedoosi albedoihisi adessive albedollasi albedoillasi ablative albedoltasi albedoiltasi allative albedollesi albedoillesi essive albedonasi albedoinasi translative albedoksesi albedoiksesi abessive albedottasi albedoittasi instructive — — comitative — albedoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative albedomme albedomme accusative nom. albedomme albedomme gen. albedomme genitive albedomme albedojemme partitive albedoamme albedojamme inessive albedossamme albedoissamme elative albedostamme albedoistamme illative albedoomme albedoihimme adessive albedollamme albedoillamme ablative albedoltamme albedoiltamme allative albedollemme albedoillemme essive albedonamme albedoinamme translative albedoksemme albedoiksemme abessive albedottamme albedoittamme instructive — — comitative — albedoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative albedonne albedonne accusative nom. albedonne albedonne gen. albedonne genitive albedonne albedojenne partitive albedoanne albedojanne inessive albedossanne albedoissanne elative albedostanne albedoistanne illative albedoonne albedoihinne adessive albedollanne albedoillanne ablative albedoltanne albedoiltanne allative albedollenne albedoillenne essive albedonanne albedoinanne translative albedoksenne albedoiksenne abessive albedottanne albedoittanne instructive — — comitative — albedoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative albedonsa albedonsa accusative nom. albedonsa albedonsa gen. albedonsa genitive albedonsa albedojensa partitive albedoaan albedoansa albedojaan albedojansa inessive albedossaan albedossansa albedoissaan albedoissansa elative albedostaan albedostansa albedoistaan albedoistansa illative albedoonsa albedoihinsa adessive albedollaan albedollansa albedoillaan albedoillansa ablative albedoltaan albedoltansa albedoiltaan albedoiltansa allative albedolleen albedollensa albedoilleen albedoillensa essive albedonaan albedonansa albedoinaan albedoinansa translative albedokseen albedoksensa albedoikseen albedoiksensa abessive albedottaan albedottansa albedoittaan albedoittansa instructive — — comitative — albedoineen albedoinensa

Further reading

• “albedo”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Italian

Alternative forms

• albedine

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin albēdō.

Noun

albedo f (invariable)

1. albedo (all senses)

Further reading

• albedo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology

From alb(us) (“white”) +‎ -ēdō (abstract noun suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /alˈbeː.doː/, [äɫ̪ˈbeːd̪oː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /alˈbe.do/, [älˈbɛːd̪o]

Noun

albēdō f (genitive albēdinis); third declension (Late Latin)

1. white (color)
2. whiteness

   Synonyms: albitūdō, albor, album

Declension

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	albēdō	albēdinēs
genitive	albēdinis	albēdinum
dative	albēdinī	albēdinibus
accusative	albēdinem	albēdinēs
ablative	albēdine	albēdinibus
vocative	albēdō	albēdinēs

Related terms

• albāmentum
• albārius
• albātus
• albeō
• albescō
• albicascō
• albicēris
• albicō
• albicolor
• albicomus
• albidulus
• albidus
• albineus
• albitūdō
• albō
• albogalērus
• albogilvus
• albor
• albūgō
• albulus
• albūmen
• alburnum
• alburnus
• albus

Descendants

• Italian: albedine
• Spanish: albédine
• → Catalan: albedo
• → English: albedo
  • → Japanese: アルベド (arubedo)
• Esperanto: albedo
• → French: albédo
  • → Romanian: albedo
• → German: Albedo
• → Italian: albedo
• → Polish: albedo
• → Portuguese: albedo
• → Russian: альбе́до (alʹbédo)
• → Spanish: albedo

References

• “albedo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• albedo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Polish

Śnieg ma wysokie albedo.

Syrtis Major Planum jest cechą albedo na powierzchni Marsa.

Albedo skórki owocu.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin albēdō. First attested in 1908.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈbɛ.dɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛdɔ
• Syllabification: al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo n (indeclinable)

1. (physics, meteorology, astronomy, optics) albedo (fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body)

   niskie/małe albedo ― a low albedo

   wysokie albedo ― a high albedo

   ziemskie albedo/albedo Ziemi ― the albedo of the Earth

   albedo wynosi ileś ― an albedo reaches/is/amounts

   albedo neutronów ― the albedo of neutrons

   albedo powierzchni ― the albedo of a surface

   albedo planety ― the albedo of a planet

   albedo śniegu ― the albedo of a snow

   wartość albedo ― the value of an albedo

   wielkości albedo ― the magnitude of an albedo

2. (botany) albedo (part of citrus fruit rind)

Derived terms

noun

• albedometr

Further reading

• albedo in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *albʰós

Proto-Italic *alβos

Latin albus

Proto-Indo-European *-Hōder.

Latin -ēdō

Late Latin albēdōlbor.

Portuguese albedo

Learned borrowing from Late Latin albēdō.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈbe.du/ [aʊ̯ˈbe.du]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈbe.du/ [aʊ̯ˈbe.du]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈbe.do/ [aʊ̯ˈbe.do]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /alˈbe.du/ [aɫˈβe.ðu]

• Rhymes: -edu
• Hyphenation: al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo m (usually uncountable, plural albedos)

1. (physics, meteorology, astronomy, optics) albedo (the fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body)

Further reading

• “albedo”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “albedo”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025
• “albedo”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “albedo”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French albédo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈbe.do/

Noun

albedo n (uncountable)

1. albedo

Declension

Declension of albedo

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	albedo	albedoul
genitive-dative	albedo	albedoului
vocative	albedoule

Further reading

• “albedo”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin albēdō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈbedo/ [alˈβ̞e.ð̞o]
• Rhymes: -edo
• Syllabification: al‧be‧do

Noun

albedo m (plural albedos)

1. (physics, meteorology, astronomy) albedo (the fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body)

Further reading

• “albedo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10