albedo

[ al-bee-doh ]
/ ælˈbi doʊ /

noun, plural al·be·dos.

Astronomy. the ratio of the light reflected by a planet or satellite to that received by it.
Meteorology. such a ratio for any part of the earth's surface or atmosphere.
the white, inner rind of a citrus fruit.

Origin of albedo

1855–60; < Late Latin albēdō whiteness, equivalent to alb(us) white + -ēdō noun suffix; cf. torpedo

Words nearby albedo

albata, albategnius, albatross, albatross around one's neck, albay, albedo, albedometer, albee, albee, edward, albeit, albemarle

Example sentences from the Web for albedo

British Dictionary definitions for albedo

albedo
/ (ælˈbiːdəʊ) /

noun

the ratio of the intensity of light reflected from an object, such as a planet, to that of the light it receives from the sun
physics the probability that a neutron passing through a surface will return through that surface

Word Origin for albedo

C19: from Church Latin: whiteness, from Latin albus white

Scientific definitions for albedo

albedo
[ ăl-bē′dō ]

The fraction of the total light striking a surface that gets reflected from that surface. An object that has a high albedo (near 1) is very bright; an object that has a low albedo (near 0) is dark. The Earth's albedo is about 0.37. The Moon's is about 0.12.