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elve
[ elv ]
/ ɛlv /
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noun
an extremely dim, flattened, expanding, reddish glow briefly seen over a thunderstorm, due to electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning.
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Origin of elve
First recorded in 1990–95; e(mission of) l(ight and) v(ery low-frequency perturbations from) e(lectromagnetic pulse sources)
Words nearby elve
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use elve in a sentence
Elve in French means up aloft, and elve means frequently transported with excitement.
Archaic England|Harold BayleyElve le corbeau, il te crvera les yeux—Bring 25 up a raven, he will pick out your eyes.
The Danish peasantry give the following account of their Ellefolk or Elve-people.
The Fairy Mythology|Thomas KeightleyThe appearance of the Wood-woman (Skogsfru) or Elve-woman, is equally unlucky for hunters.
The Fairy Mythology|Thomas Keightley
Scientific definitions for elve
elve
[ ĕlv ]
An extremely dim, short-lived, expanding disk of reddish light above thunderstorms, believed to be caused by electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning in the lower ionosphere. Elves last less than a second and can be as wide as 500 km (310 mi) in diameter.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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