aurora borealis

English

aurora borealis

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin aurōra boreālis (lit. "northern dawn").

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌɹɔːɹ.ə ˈbɔːɹ.i.æl.ɪs/
  • (file)

Noun

aurora borealis

  1. The aurora of the northern hemisphere.
    Synonyms: northern dawn, northern lights
    Coordinate terms: aurora australis, southern lights
    • 1996 April 14, “22 Short Films About Springfield”, in The Simpsons, season 7, episode 21, production code 3F18:
      Superintendent Chalmers: Yes, I should be—Good Lord what is happening in there!?
      Principal Skinner: Aurora borealis.
      Superintendent Chalmers: Uh—Aurora borealis, at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localised entirely within your kitchen?
      Principal Skinner: Yes.
      Superintendent Chalmers: May I see it?
      Principal Skinner: No.
    • 2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:
      A common and beautiful side-effect of high solar activity is the Aurora Borealis - the northern lights that dance across Arctic skies.

Translations

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