aurora

au-ro-ra · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions, caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with the atmosphere.

  2. 2.

    (Poetic/literary) The dawn; daybreak.

Forms

plural: auroras

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    aurora borealis — The northern lights, visible in Arctic regions.
  • •
    aurora australis — The southern lights, visible in Antarctic regions.

Related words

See also: dawn, light, sky
Synonyms: northern lights, polar lights, southern lights

Etymology

From Latin Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn, from Proto-Indo-European root h₂ews- ("to shine").