parhelion
Americannoun
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parhelia
plural
noun
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parhelia
plural
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A white spot appearing at times in the parhelic circle. White parhelia are believed to form from light that is reflected off of atmospheric ice crystals; colored parhelia are believed to form from light that is refracted by atmospheric ice crystals. Multiple parhelia can often be seen simultaneously.
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Compare anthelion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of parhelion
First recorded in 1640–50; alteration of Latin parēlion, from Greek parḗlion, noun use of neuter of parḗlios “beside the sun”; see par-, helio-
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.
See Examples For:
I tried fata morgana, mirage, parhelion, and whatever I had learned of recognized illusion, but in vain sought satisfaction, or anything pointing in the direction of satisfaction.
From The Flight of the Shadow by George MacDonald
At each point of contact occurs a parhelion which is a mock sun of brilliant colors and called a sun-dog.
From Reading the Weather by Thomas Morris Longstreth
Sometimes during the summer we see the parhelion, a similar phenomenon of the sun.
From The North Pole Its Discovery in 1909 under the auspices of the Peary Arctic Club by Robert E. (Robert Edwin) Peary
The same parhelion was seen on the island of Manitou in Lake Huron, and accompanied by a very remarkable appearance.
From Old Mackinaw The Fortress of the Lakes and its Surroundings by W. P. (William Peter) Strickland
Among the remarkable phenomena which came under the observation of the Jesuit Fathers in Mackinaw, was the appearance of a parhelion on the 21st of January, 1671.
From Old Mackinaw The Fortress of the Lakes and its Surroundings by W. P. (William Peter) Strickland
Also visible were a range of other effects, including parhelia - or sun dogs - which appear as bright patches either side of the sun.
From BBC ● May 29, 2023
The parhelia are most brilliant when the sun is near the horizon.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 8 "Haller, Albrecht" to "Harmonium" by Various
For a few words of this class, however, there are double plurals in use; as, automata or atomatons, criteria or criterions, parhelia or parhelions; and the plural of phenomenon appears to be always phenomena.
From The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown
The optical phenomena which occur on the same side as, or around the sun, such as halos, parhelia, etc., will be dealt with later on.
From Young Folks' Library, Volume XI (of 20) Wonders of Earth, Sea and Sky by Edward Singleton Holden
The day was calm, cloudy and misty in the forenoon and clearer in the afternoon, when we observed well-defined parhelia.
From South: the story of Shackleton's 1914-1917 expedition by Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton
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.
