gegenschein

American

[gey-guhn-shahyn] / ˈgeɪ gənˌʃaɪn /

noun

Astronomy.

a faint, elliptical patch of light in the night sky that appears opposite the sun, being a reflection of sunlight by meteoric material in space.

gegenschein British

/ ˈɡeɪɡənˌʃaɪn /

noun

Also called: counterglow. a faint glow in the sky, just visible at a position opposite to that of the sun and having a similar origin to zodiacal light

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gegenschein

First recorded in 1875–80, gegenschein is from the German word Gegenschein counterglow

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.

Two to look for: the gegenschein and zodiacal light.

From Washington Post

"Who else knows the gegenschein is broken glass?"

From Project Gutenberg

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