albedo

noun

al·​be·​do al-ˈbē-(ˌ)dō 

plural albedos

1

: reflective power

specifically : the fraction of incident radiation (such as light) that is reflected by a surface or body (such as the moon or a cloud) compare reflectance

2

: the whitish, spongy inner part of the rind of a citrus fruit : the mesocarp of a hesperidium

The trouble with grapefruit is that however carefully you peel it, some of the white stuff always sticks to the fruit. The spongy white tissue, called albedo, is quite bitter, and it clings with the tenacity of lichen.

—Discover

compare flavedo

Examples of albedo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team analyzed observational data and weather models from NASA satellites and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and discovered that 2023 had surprisingly low albedo—the amount of solar radiation a planet reflects back into space. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024

The Earth’s albedo has been declining since the 1970s, according to the report, due in part to the melting of light-colored snow and sea ice, exposing darker land and water which absorb more of the sun’s energy, heating up the planet. —Laura Paddison, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024

The research, published Thursday in the journal Science, suggests that an overall decline in the planet’s albedo, as that dynamic is called, is a likely cause of the temperature anomaly observed in 2023. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024

The playground’s white surface also reflects heat immediately, due to the albedo effect, which may make the area feel hotter during the day. —Yessenia Funes, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin albēdin-, albēdō "whiteness, white color," from Latin albus "light-colored, white" + -ēdin-, -ēdō, suffix of abstract nouns; (sense 1) after German Albedo in this sense, borrowed from Latin — more at alb, torpedo

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

albedo

noun

al·​be·​do al-ˈbēd-(ˌ)ō 

plural albedos

: the fraction of incident light or electromagnetic radiation that is reflected by a surface or body (as the moon or the skin)