rainbow

[ reyn-boh ]

noun

1. a bow or arc of prismatic colors appearing in the heavens opposite the sun and caused by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of rain. Compare primary rainbow, secondary rainbow.
2. a similar bow of colors, especially one appearing in the spray of a waterfall or fountain.
3. any brightly multicolored arrangement or display.
4. a wide variety or range; gamut.
5. a visionary goal:

   He pursued the rainbow of a singing career for years before becoming a success.

6. rainbow trout.

adjective

1. having a diverse membership; including representatives from different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, etc.: LGBTQ Pride month celebrates all of the rainbow community.

   Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously described postapartheid South Africa as a rainbow nation.

   LGBTQ Pride month celebrates all of the rainbow community.

   Candidates are appealing to a rainbow coalition of minority voters.

rainbow

¹

/ ˈreɪnˌbəʊ /

noun

1. a bow-shaped display in the sky of the colours of the spectrum, caused by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays through rain or mist
2. 1. any similar display of bright colours
   2. ( as modifier )

      a rainbow pattern

3. an illusory hope

   to chase rainbows

4. modifier of or relating to a political grouping together by several minorities, esp of different races

   the rainbow coalition

Rainbow

²

/ ˈreɪnˌbəʊ /

noun

1. a member of the Rainbow Guides, the youngest group of girls (aged 5-7 years) in The Guide Association

rainbow

/ rān′bō′ /

1. An arc-shaped spectrum of color seen in the sky opposite the Sun, especially after rain, caused by the refraction and reflection of sunlight by droplets of water suspended in the air. Secondary rainbows that are larger and paler sometimes appear within the primary arc with the colors reversed (red being inside). These result from two reflections and refractions of a light ray inside a droplet.

rainbow

1. The colored arch in the sky that is often seen after a rain. The rainbow is formed when water droplets in the air cause the diffraction of sunlight.

Notes

The colors of the rainbow are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.

Other Words From

• rain·bow·y rain·bow·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rainbow¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English reinbowe, Old English regnboga, rēnboga; cognate with Old Norse regnbogi, German Regenbogen; rain, bow ²

Example Sentences

Following Szutowicz’s arrest, many protesters have been displaying rainbow flags across the city, and are subsequently being arrested for those actions.

From Washington Blade

All the colors in the rainbow—and your t-shirt drawer, as it so happens.

From Singularity Hub 

They gave away over 200 hundreds of rainbow masks in each spot.

From No Straight News

That’s why, when you see a double rainbow, the secondary arc is much dimmer and its colors are flipped.

From Science News For Students

I noticed when I went over to the chemistry department that a lot of the professors had stickers on their doors with a rainbow or triangle that said that they were LGBTQ allies.

From Science News For Students

Meanwhile, big dollar advertising campaigns have taken an explicit rainbow-hued slant.

From The Daily Beast

She is smiling, a pink-striped hat on her head and a mini rainbow lollipop sticking out of her mouth.

From The Daily Beast

Here and there, sparingly, one of the dolls might be purple or green: “Rainbow Piets,” they call them.

From The Daily Beast

David Bowie, Ronnie Wood, and Marianne Faithfull were regulars at the Rainbow Room, a restaurant on the fifth floor.

From The Daily Beast

Because the marketing of the screening included a rainbow flag and said it was to be the kickoff of “LGBT Awareness Month.”

From The Daily Beast

Directly after them came a lot of palace attendants in curious hats and long robes of all colours of the rainbow.

From Project Gutenberg

The colours of the rainbow shone there in pale tints, and the flaring sunshine could not enter.

From Project Gutenberg

They glittered and shone with an intensity of colour which surpassed even those of the rainbow.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor did the future appear any more in a rainbow glory, since he realised that it would bring renunciation as well as joy.

From Project Gutenberg

As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.

From Project Gutenberg