auroral
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of auroral
First recorded in 1545–55; auror(a) ( def. ) + -al 1
Explanation
An aurora is an astronomical phenomenon, when colored lights seem to shimmer in the sky. Auroral refers to that display––you might describe it as a show of auroral light. The best known aurora is the aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights. If you ever have trouble with auroral, try to remember Fozzie Bear's summation of the impossible from a line in the "Muppet Movie": "The aurora borealis/shining down in Dallas/Can you picture that?"
Vocabulary lists containing auroral
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.
This unusual cusp location has important consequences for models of magnetic reconnection, the acceleration of high-energy particles, and Saturn's intense auroral activity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
The team observed Saturn's northern auroral region continuously for an entire Saturnian day.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026
Those winds generated electrical currents that altered the auroral signal scientists were using to estimate the planet's rotation.
From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026
The aurora is always present around the North and South Poles - this is known as the auroral ring.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2025
Olmsted, following Hansteen, had already, in 1856, sought to establish an auroral period of sixty-five years.
From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
