secondary rainbow

noun

1. a faint rainbow formed by light rays that undergo two internal reflections in drops of rain, appearing above the primary rainbow and having its colors in the opposite order.

Word History and Origins

Origin of secondary rainbow¹

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 26 minutes by rain, during which fans could take in an intensely bright rainbow that appeared beyond the center-field scoreboard, along with a faint secondary rainbow outside it and a few rarely seen narrower bands of color called supernumary rainbows inside the main one.

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