1. The condition of being exposed to radiation
   "The cancer patients underwent controlled irradiation as part of their treatment"
    
2. (medicine) the treatment of disease (especially cancer) by exposure to a radioactive substance
   "The patient received irradiation treatments for six weeks";
   - radiotherapy, radiation therapy, radiation, actinotherapy
    
3. A column of light (as from a beacon)
   "The irradiation from the lighthouse guided ships to safety";
   - beam, beam of light, light beam, ray, ray of light, shaft, shaft of light
    
4. (physiology) the spread of sensory neural impulses in the cortex
   "The irradiation of pain signals made it difficult to locate the exact source of discomfort"
    
5. The apparent enlargement of a bright object when viewed against a dark background
   "The irradiation effect made the stars appear larger than they actually were"
    
6. (Pavlovian conditioning) the elicitation of a conditioned response by stimulation similar but not identical to the original stimulus
   "The dog's salivation in response to a tone similar to the original bell demonstrated irradiation"

Derived forms: irradiations

Type of: condition, generalisation [Brit], generalization, illusion, light, semblance, spread, spreading, status, stimulus generalisation [Brit], stimulus generalization, therapy, treatment, visible light, visible radiation

Encyclopedia: Irradiation