aurora borealis
[ bawr-ee-al-is, -ey-lis, bohr- ]
/ ˌbɔr iˈæl ɪs, -ˈeɪ lɪs, ˌboʊr- /
noun Meteorology.
the aurora of the Northern Hemisphere.
Also called
northern lights,
aurora polaris.
Origin of aurora borealis
1621; < New Latin: northern aurora; see
boreal
Words nearby aurora borealis
aurist,
aurobindo,
aurochs,
aurora,
aurora australis,
aurora borealis,
auroral,
auroral zone,
aurorean,
aurous,
aurum
Example sentences from the Web for aurora borealis
Such kind of talk, wherever it may be, is only like the aurora-borealis, or like dissolving views which for the moment please.
Talkers |John Bate
British Dictionary definitions for aurora borealis
aurora borealis
/ (ˌbɔːrɪˈeɪlɪs) /
noun
(sometimes capital)
the aurora seen around the North Pole
Also called: northern lights
Word Origin for aurora borealis
C17: New Latin: northern aurora
Cultural definitions for aurora borealis
aurora borealis
[ (uh-rawr-uh bawr-ee-al-is) ]
A display of colored lights in the sky, also called northern lights, caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere near the North Pole. A similar display, called the aurora australis, occurs in the atmosphere above the South Pole.