aurora

noun

au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə 

ȯ-

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

auroral

ə-ˈrȯr-əl 

ȯ-

adjective

aurorean

ə-ˈrȯr-ē-ən 

ȯ-

adjective

Synonyms

• cockcrow
• dawn
• dawning
• day
• daybreak
• daylight
• light
• morn
• morning
• sun
• sunrise
• sunup

Examples of aurora in a Sentence

a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber

Recent Examples on the Web

My visit to this winter wonderland showed me so much more than just the aurora borealis. —David Morris, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2024

Multiple Arizona cities were voted best for stargazing in the U.S. and would be optimal places to view the aurora. —Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 3 June 2024

Sometimes, a camera lens will pick up aurora even when the naked eye can’t perceive the colors. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 May 2024

Folks are more likely to view an aurora on Friday than Saturday, the agency said. —Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 31 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at east

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aurora

• aurora australis
• aurora borealis

Kids Definition

aurora

noun

au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrōr-ə 

ȯ-ˈrōr-,

-ˈrȯr-

plural auroras or aurorae -ē 

1

: dawn entry 2 sense 1

2

: aurora borealis

3

: aurora australis

auroral

-əl 

adjective

Geographical 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