rainbow

[ reyn-boh ]

/ ˈreɪnˌboʊ /

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See synonyms for: rainbow / rainbowlike on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

a similar bow of colors, especially one appearing in the spray of a waterfall or fountain.

any brightly multicolored arrangement or display.

a wide variety or range; gamut.

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

rainbow trout.

adjective

having a diverse membership; including representatives from multiple identity groups, as those indentifying variously by race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation: 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.

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Origin of rainbow

First recorded before 1000; Middle English reinbowe, Old English regnboga, rēnboga; cognate with Old Norse regnbogi, German Regenbogen; see rain, bow²

OTHER WORDS FROM rainbow

rain·bow·y, rain·bow·like, adjective

Words nearby rainbow

raiment, Raimondi, rain, rainband, rainbird, rainbow, rainbow bird, Rainbow Bridge, rainbow cactus, rainbow-collar, rainbow darter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rainbow in a sentence

Following Szutowicz’s arrest, many protesters have been displaying rainbow flags across the city, and are subsequently being arrested for those actions.
Poland’s LGBTQ activists confront growing crackdown|Kaela Roeder|August 14, 2020|Washington Blade
All the colors in the rainbow—and your t-shirt drawer, as it so happens.
Scientists Gene-Hack Cotton Plants to Make Them Every Color of the Rainbow|Jason Dorrier|August 11, 2020|Singularity Hub
They gave away over 200 hundreds of rainbow masks in each spot.
They Gave Away Rainbow Masks In “LGBT Free Zones” In Poland|LGBTQ-Editor|May 26, 2020|No Straight News
That’s why, when you see a double rainbow, the secondary arc is much dimmer and its colors are flipped.
Explainer: Rainbows, fogbows and their eerie cousins|Matthew Cappucci|May 1, 2020|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.
Weight lifting is this planetary scientist’s pastime|Bryn Nelson|March 10, 2020|Science News For Students
Meanwhile, big dollar advertising campaigns have taken an explicit rainbow-hued slant.
Corporations Are No Longer Silent on LGBT Issues||December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She is smiling, a pink-striped hat on her head and a mini rainbow lollipop sticking out of her mouth.
Even Grade School Kids Are Protesting the Garner Killing Now|Caitlin Dickson|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here and there, sparingly, one of the dolls might be purple or green: “Rainbow Piets,” they call them.
Dutch Try to Save Santa’s Slave|Nadette De Visser|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
David Bowie, Ronnie Wood, and Marianne Faithfull were regulars at the Rainbow Room, a restaurant on the fifth floor.
Barbara Hulanicki, Queen of Fast Fashion|Lizzie Crocker|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because the marketing of the screening included a rainbow flag and said it was to be the kickoff of “LGBT Awareness Month.”
Catholic University’s Harvey Milk Ban Reflects A Church In Transition|Jay Michaelson|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Directly after them came a lot of palace attendants in curious hats and long robes of all colours of the rainbow.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
The colours of the rainbow shone there in pale tints, and the flaring sunshine could not enter.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
They glittered and shone with an intensity of colour which surpassed even those of the rainbow.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Nor did the future appear any more in a rainbow glory, since he realised that it would bring renunciation as well as joy.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
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.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for rainbow (1 of 2)

rainbow

/ (ˈreɪnˌbəʊ) /

noun

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

any similar display of bright colours
(as modifier)a rainbow pattern

an illusory hopeto chase rainbows

(modifier) of or relating to a political grouping together by several minorities, esp of different racesthe rainbow coalition

British Dictionary definitions for rainbow (2 of 2)

Rainbow

/ (ˈreɪnˌbəʊ) /

noun

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

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

Scientific definitions for rainbow

rainbow

[ rān′bō′ ]

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.

Cultural definitions for rainbow

rainbow

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 for rainbow

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

rainbow

Origin of rainbow

OTHER WORDS FROM rainbow

Words nearby rainbow

Words related to rainbow

How to use rainbow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rainbow (1 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for rainbow (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for rainbow

Cultural definitions for rainbow

notes for rainbow