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Brocken specter

American

noun

an optical phenomenon sometimes occurring at high altitudes when the image of an observer placed between the sun and a cloud is projected on the cloud as a greatly magnified shadow.

Etymology

Origin of Brocken specter

First recorded in 1920–25; Brocken bow

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Howdle stood on Mam Tor, a 1,696-foot hill in the High Peak area of the National Park when he saw the unusual “Brocken specter.”

From Fox News

The phenomenon is known as a “brocken specter” or “mountain specter” and is among the “top ten spookiest weather conditions” listed by the U.K.’s Met Office.

From Fox News

Considering that I have looked down so many times from mountain tops on seas of all sorts of clouds, it seems strange that I should have seen the "Brocken Specter" only this once.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023