Home / Glossary
Lighting glossary
47 terms in English and Arabic, as you’ll find them in catalogues and quotations, each linked to the guide that explains it.
- Accent إنارة التركيز
- Light that highlights an architectural or artistic feature and creates contrast. Guide · Term page
- Ambient الإنارة العامة
- The base layer that gives a space enough light for movement and visibility. Guide · Term page
- Anti-glare ضد الوهج
- A design that hides the light source from the eye: a deep-recessed reflector, a shielding ring or a louvre. Guide · Term page
- Beam Angle زاوية الشعاع
- The width of the cone of light leaving the fitting, in degrees. Guide · Term page
- Bias Lighting إضاءة خلف الشاشة
- Soft light behind the TV that reduces contrast and eye strain. Guide · Term page
- Casambi Casambi
- A wireless Bluetooth control system, well suited to upgrading existing homes. Guide · Term page
- COB Strip شريط COB
- An LED strip with a continuous line of light and no visible dots. Guide · Term page
- CRI / Ra مؤشر دقة الألوان
- A scale from 0 to 100 of how true to life colours appear. 90 or higher is excellent. Guide · Term page
- Cove Lighting الإنارة المخفية
- A strip or fitting inside a gypsum recess that lights the ceiling or wall indirectly. Guide · Term page
- DALI DALI
- A global digital protocol for controlling each fitting individually and programming scenes. Guide · Term page
- Darklight العاكس الداكن
- An inner reflector that reduces the fitting’s brightness so the ceiling looks calm. Guide · Term page
- Diffuser / Opal الناشر
- A milky cover that spreads the light and hides the dots, but can increase the fitting’s apparent brightness. Guide · Term page
- Dimming التعتيم
- Smoothly reducing light intensity; it requires compatibility between the dimmer and the Driver. Guide · Term page
- Driver المحول
- A unit that converts mains electricity into a stable current for an LED chip. Guide · Term page
- Flicker الوميض
- A rapid fluctuation in light intensity that may not be visible but causes strain for some people. Guide · Term page
- Flood زاوية واسعة
- A beam angle above about 40°, for widely spread general lighting. Guide · Term page
- Glare الوهج
- Uncomfortable brightness from a direct source or a reflection that reduces comfort and visibility. Guide · Term page
- Heatsink المبرد
- A metal body that draws heat away from the chip; the foundation of a fitting’s lifespan. Guide · Term page
- Honeycomb خلية النحل
- A grid fitted in front of the source to cut off side rays and reduce glare. Guide · Term page
- IEEE 1789 IEEE 1789
- A 2015 international recommendation that sets safe flicker limits according to frequency. Guide · Term page
- Integrated الجهاز المتكامل
- A fitting in which the chip and body are one unit; if it fails, the whole fitting is replaced. Guide · Term page
- IP Rating درجة الحماية
- Two digits: the first for dust and solid objects, the second for water. Guide · Term page
- Kelvin (K) الكلفن
- The unit of colour temperature: lower numbers are warmer (yellowish), higher numbers are cooler (bluish white). Guide · Term page
- KNX KNX
- A wired building-automation system covering lighting, curtains and air conditioning. Guide · Term page
- LED Module الموديول
- The replaceable heart of the fitting in separate-frame systems. Guide · Term page
- Light Pollution التلوث الضوئي
- Excess or misdirected light that disturbs neighbours and hides the sky. Guide · Term page
- Lumen (lm) لومن
- The total amount of light a fitting emits in all directions. The basis for comparing two fittings. Guide · Term page
- Efficacy (lm/W) الكفاءة الضوئية
- The number of lumens produced per watt. The higher it is, the more efficient the fitting. Guide · Term page
- Lux (lx) لكس
- The amount of light reaching a surface, i.e. lumens per square metre. Lighting is designed on this basis. Guide · Term page
- Narrow Spot سبوت ضيق
- A beam angle below about 15°, for focusing light on a small object or from a great height. Guide · Term page
- Polar Curve مخطط شدة الإضاءة
- A diagram in the catalogue showing how a fitting’s light is distributed in each direction. Guide · Term page
- R9 R9
- The rendering value for saturated red, important for skin tones and wood, and not included in the general CRI. Guide · Term page
- RGB / RGBW RGB / RGBW
- Strips or fittings that produce different colours. RGBW adds a white chip for purer white light. Guide · Term page
- Scene المشهد
- A saved set of settings for several circuits, recalled at the press of a button. Guide · Term page
- Spacing Criterion نسبة المسافة للارتفاع
- A figure on the datasheet that is multiplied by the mounting height to give the maximum spacing between fittings. Guide · Term page
- Spike Light كشاف الغرس
- A floodlight staked into the soil that can be moved and re-aimed. Guide · Term page
- Task إنارة المهام
- Light focused on a specific activity area, such as a kitchen worktop or for reading. Guide · Term page
- Track مسار التراك
- An electrified rail on which movable spotlights are mounted; low-voltage magnetic versions are available. Guide · Term page
- Trimless الفريم بدون حواف
- A spotlight set into the gypsum and painted with it so the frame disappears. Guide · Term page
- Tunable White الأبيض المتغير
- Fittings whose white can be adjusted between warm and cool from a controller. Guide · Term page
- UGR مؤشر الوهج الموحد
- A figure for rating discomfort glare; lower is better, and 19 is a common limit for offices. Guide · Term page