aurora borealis

American  

[bawr-ee-al-is, -ey-lis, bohr-] / ˌbɔr iˈæl ɪs, -ˈeɪ lɪs, ˌboʊr- /

noun

Meteorology.

1. the aurora of the Northern Hemisphere.

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aurora borealis British  

/ ˌbɔːrɪˈeɪlɪs /

noun

1. Also called: northern lights.  (sometimes capital) the aurora seen around the North Pole

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aurora borealis Cultural  

1. A display of colored lights in the sky, also called northern lights, caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere near the North Pole. A similar display, called the aurora australis, occurs in the atmosphere above the South Pole.

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Usage

What does aurora borealis mean? The aurora borealis is the shimmering display of lights that sometimes appears in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. The phenomenon is also commonly called the northern lights. An aurora is a natural light display in the sky that is caused by particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. Auroras are not exclusive to Earth and occur on every planet in our solar system except Mercury. The aurora borealis appears in many colors ranging from green and pink to red, yellow, and blue. The word borealis is Latin for boreal, which simply means “northern.”The aurora borealis is not the only aurora on Earth. The aurora in the Southern Hemisphere is called aurora australis or the southern lights. Both the northern and southern versions can be called aurora polaris because they occur around Earth’s poles, but this term is not commonly used. The aurora borealis dazzles the many people who travel to see the natural light show, which is considered one of Earth’s most magical phenomena.

Etymology

Origin of aurora borealis

1621; < New Latin: northern aurora; see boreal

Example Sentences

Nor is its northerly detachment without compensation, for at times the Aurora borealis illumines the sky with a brilliancy unknown further south.

From The Story of Newfoundland by Birkenhead, Frederick Edwin Smith, Earl of

The Aurora borealis generally begins towards evening, and first appears as a faint glimmer in the north, like the approach of dawn.

From The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live In by Lubbock, John, Sir

Then away to the north, as if to remind man of his littleness, the Aurora borealis sprang into life.

From The Rising of the Red Man A Romance of the Louis Riel Rebellion by Mackie, John

You will say no rules for the illumination of windows can apply to the Aurora borealis.

From The Correspondence of Thomas Carlyle and Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1834-1872, Vol. I by Carlyle, Thomas

“You may call him the Aurora borealis if you like, doctor,” said Silas; “and as for his family connections I know nought, but I daresay he comes from a jolly bad stock.”

From Wild Adventures round the Pole The Cruise of the "Snowbird" Crew in the "Arrandoon" by Stables, Gordon