plural auroras or aurorae
ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē 
ȯ-
1
: dawn
2
capitalized
: the Roman goddess of dawn compare eos
3
: a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet's magnetic field lines
Synonyms
Examples of aurora in a Sentence
a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber
Recent Examples on the Web
This peak also includes more coronal mass ejections, or bursts of plasma and magnetic fields shot from the sun’s surface, that result in more geomagnetic storms on Earth and pull aurora borealis to the south.
—
Ty Roush, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Between the aurora borealis, the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, the Draconid meteors and the full Hunter’s Moon, October has already been an exciting month for skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024
Greenlandic sled dogs can also take travelers to more remote areas for even clearer views of the aurora borealis.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
Read more Photo of the day: Bursts of color above
Americans had the opportunity Thursday to witness auroras dancing across the night sky amid a solar storm.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aurora 
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Ty Roush, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Between the aurora borealis, the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, the Draconid meteors and the full Hunter’s Moon, October has already been an exciting month for skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024
Greenlandic sled dogs can also take travelers to more remote areas for even clearer views of the aurora borealis.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Oct. 2024
Read more Photo of the day: Bursts of color above
Americans had the opportunity Thursday to witness auroras dancing across the night sky amid a solar storm.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aurora
Dictionary Entries Near aurora
Cite this Entry
“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Aurora
geographical name
Au·ro·ra
ə-ˈrȯr-ə
ȯ-
1
city in north central Colorado east of Denver population 325,078
2
city west of Chicago in northeastern Illinois population 197,899
3
town north of Toronto in southeastern Ontario, Canada population 53,203
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