Aura

¹ American  

[awr-uh] / ˈɔr ə /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a companion of Artemis who bore twins to Dionysus. Zeus changed her into a spring because, in a fit of madness, she had killed one of her children.

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aura ² American  

[awr-uh] / ˈɔr ə /

noun

plural

auras, aurae

1. a distinctive and pervasive quality or character; air; atmosphere.

   an aura of respectability;

   an aura of friendliness.

2. a subtly pervasive quality or atmosphere seen as emanating from a person, place, or thing.

3. Pathology. a sensation, as of lights or a current of warm or cold air, preceding an attack of migraine or epilepsy.

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aura British  

/ ˈɔːrə /

noun

1. a distinctive air or quality considered to be characteristic of a person or thing

2. any invisible emanation, such as a scent or odour

3. pathol strange sensations, such as noises in the ears or flashes of light, that immediately precede an attack, esp of epilepsy

4. (in parapsychology) an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object: alleged to be discernible by individuals of supernormal sensibility

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Etymology

Origin of aura

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek: “breath (of air)”

Example Sentences

He exudes an Austin Powers–esque aura that can feel delightfully unhinged.

From Salon

The intense focus of the dozen people in the room radiates an aura of calm despite the cacophony of medical machinery beeping and pumping away.

From BBC

The Silicon Valley aura has proven elusive to GM, as it has to other automakers chasing the same strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We were trying to use certain colors to meet peoples’ aura,” Stern says.

From Los Angeles Times

Rage bait beat two other shortlisted terms - aura farming and biohack - to win the title.

From BBC

Related Words

• ambience
• aspect
• atmosphere
• feeling
• mood
• quality
• scent
• semblance
• tone