Aurora

[ uh-rawr-uh, uh-rohr-uh ]
See synonyms for Aurora on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural au·ro·ras, au·ro·rae [uh-rawr-ee, uh-rohr-ee] /əˈrɔr i, əˈroʊr i/ for defs. 2, 3.
  1. the ancient Roman goddess of the dawn.: Compare Eos.

  2. (lowercase) dawn.

  1. (lowercase)Meteorology. a radiant emission from the upper atmosphere that occurs sporadically over the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres in the form of luminous bands, streamers, or the like, caused by the bombardment of the atmosphere with charged solar particles that are being guided along the earth's magnetic lines of force.

  2. a city in central Colorado, near Denver.

  3. a city in NE Illinois.

  4. a female given name.

Origin of Aurora

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin aurōra dawn, dawn goddess, east

Words Nearby Aurora

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Aurora in a sentence

  • The moon seemed to smile on him; the Aurora appeared to dance with unwonted vigour, as if in glee; the very stars winked at him!

    The Giant of the North | R.M. Ballantyne
  • The storm, however, was over; the moon and stars were shining in a clear sky, and the Aurora was dancing merrily.

    The Giant of the North | R.M. Ballantyne
  • Thus also Mary, the spiritual Aurora, had to be conceived and born before the appearance of the Sun of Justice in this world.

  • Trying to fathom the abyss below them, he saw the flames of the Aurora borealis reflected in the water of an immense lake.

    Urania | Camille Flammarion
  • It is impossible to describe here the various experiences and doings of Aurora.

British Dictionary definitions for aurora (1 of 3)

aurora

/ (ɔːˈrɔːrə) /


nounplural -ras or -rae (-riː)
  1. an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands, curtains, or streamers of light, usually green, red, or yellow, that move across the sky in polar regions. It is caused by collisions between air molecules and charged particles from the sun that are trapped in the earth's magnetic field

  2. poetic the dawn

Origin of aurora

1
C14: from Latin: dawn; see east

Derived forms of aurora

  • auroral, adjective
  • aurorally, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Aurora (2 of 3)

Aurora1

/ (ɔːˈrɔːrə) /


noun
  1. the Roman goddess of the dawn: Greek counterpart: Eos

  2. the dawn or rise of something

British Dictionary definitions for Aurora (3 of 3)

Aurora2

/ (ɔːˈrɔːrə) /


noun
  1. another name for Maewo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for aurora

aurora

[ ə-rôrə ]


Plural auroras aurorae (ə-rôrē)
  1. A brilliant display of bands or folds of variously colored light in the sky at night, especially in polar regions. Charged particles from the solar wind are channeled through the Earth's magnetic field into the polar regions. There the particles collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, ionizing them and making them glow. Auroras are of greatest intensity and extent during periods of increased sunspot activity, when they often interfere with telecommunications on Earth.♦ An aurora that occurs in southern latitudes is called an aurora australis (ô-strālĭs) or southern lights. When it occurs in northern latitudes it is called an aurora borealis (bôr′ē-ălĭs) or northern lights. See also magnetic storm.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.