insolation

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French insolation, from Latin insolatio (“a setting or placing in the sun”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɪnsoʊˈleɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

insolation (usually uncountable, plural insolations)

1. The incident radiant energy emitted by the sun which reaches a unit area over a period of time, typically measured over a horizontal area at the Earth's surface or at the top of Earth's atmosphere.

   The difference in insolation between north-facing and south-facing slopes can affect microclimates as much as hundreds of miles of north-south distance on level ground.

2. The rate of delivery of such radiation.
3. The act or process of exposing to the rays of the sun, such as for the purpose of medical treatment, drying or maturing, as fruits, drugs, etc., or of rendering acid, as vinegar.
4. (medicine, dated) sunstroke.

Synonyms

• (exposure as medical treatment): sunbath

Translations

sun's radiant energy per unit area

• Finnish: insolaatio, auringonsäteily
• Maori: hihirā, hihi kōmaru
• Polish: nasłonecznienie (pl) n, insolacja (pl) f
• Spanish: insolación (es) f

rate of delivery

• Finnish: insolaatio, auringonsäteilyn voimakkuus

exposure to the rays of the sun

• Finnish: aurinkohoito (medical treatment), aurinkokylpy (chiefly cosmetic treatment); aurinkokuivaus (drying); aurinkokypsytys (maturing)
• Greek: ηλιασμός (el) m (iliasmós)
• Spanish: insolación (es) f

medicine: sunstroke — see sunstroke

Further reading

• solar irradiance on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin īnsōlātiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.sɔ.la.sjɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

insolation f (plural insolations)

1. sunstroke, insolation (heatstroke caused by an excessive exposure to the sun's rays)
   • 1905, Pierre Marge, Le Tour de l'Espagne en Automobile‎^[1]:

     —Mais vous êtes fou d’aller en Espagne en été; sachez que la chaleur y est torride, insupportable. —Qu’importe, nous nous vêtirons légèrement, ai-je répondu. —Vous attraperez des insolations. —Nous nous coifferons de larges panamas!

     But you are crazy, going to Spain in summer; you know that the heat there is torrid, it's unbearable. ―No matter, we will dress lightly, I responded. ―You'll get sunstroke. ―We'll wear big Panama hats!

Descendants

• → English: insolation

Further reading

• “insolation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.