Triboluminescence is a special case of luminescence, where luminescence is the emission of visible or invisible radiation unaccompanied by high temperature in any substance by the absorption of excited energy. Excitation sources include photons, charged particles, and chemical changes. An inorganic luminescent material, or phosphor, usually consists of a crystalline host material with a trace impurity added. In the case of triboluminescence, the excitation source is mechanical disruption. ZnS Mn is an example of a material exhibiting triboluminescent behavior.

The word triboluminescence is derived from tribo, from the Greek word tribein, meaning to rub, and the Latin words lumen, meaning light, and escens, meaning characterized by. Thus, luminescence is the creation of light by means other than heat, as distinguished from incandescence, which describes light emission due solely to the temperature of a source.

Wint-O-Green Lifesavers™ produce an example of triboluminescence, which is essentially a two-step process...