Definition of Aurora

1. Noun. The first light of day. "They talked until morning"


2. Noun. An atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands of light caused by charged solar particles following the earth's magnetic lines of force.
Generic synonyms: Atmospheric Phenomenon
Specialized synonyms: Aurora Australis, Southern Lights, Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights
Terms within: Streamer
Derivative terms: Auroral

3. Noun. (Roman mythology) goddess of the dawn; counterpart of Greek Eos.
Category relationships: Roman Mythology
Generic synonyms: Roman Deity

Definition of Aurora

1. n. The rising light of the morning; the dawn of day; the redness of the sky just before the sun rises.

Definition of Aurora

1. Proper noun. (Roman god) Roman goddess of the dawn. ¹

2. Proper noun. ( female given name), in quiet but regular use since the 19th century. ¹

3. Noun. An atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere, creating coloured lights in the sky. It is usually named australis or borealis based on whether it is in the southern or northern hemispheres respectively. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Aurora

1. the rising light of the morning [n -RAS or -RAE] : AURORAL, AUROREAN [adj]

Medical Definition of Aurora

1. Origin: L. Aurora, for ausosa, akin to Gr, dawn, Skr. Ushas, and E. East. 1. The rising light of the morning; the dawn of day; the redness of the sky just before the sun rises. 2. The rise, dawn, or beginning. 3. The Roman personification of the dawn of day; the goddess of the morning. The poets represented her a rising out of the ocean, in a chariot, with rosy fingers dropping gentle dew. 4. A species of crowfoot. 5. The aurora borealis or aurora australis (northern or southern lights). Aurora borealis, i. E, northern daybreak; popularly called northern lights. A luminous meteoric phenomenon, visible only at night, and supposed to be of electrical origin. This species of light usually appears in streams, ascending toward the zenith from a dusky line or bank, a few degrees above the northern horizon; when reaching south beyond the zenith, it forms what is called the corona, about a spot in the heavens toward which the dipping needle points. Occasionally the aurora appears as an arch of light across the heavens from east to west. Sometimes it assumes a wavy appearance, and the streams of light are then called merry dancers. They assume a variety of colours, from a pale red or yellow to a deep red or blood colour. The Aurora australis is a corresponding phenomenon in the southern hemisphere, the streams of light ascending in the same manner from near the southern horizon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Aurora

aurocephalous
auroch
aurochloride
aurochlorides
aurochromoderma
aurochs
aurochsen
aurochses
aurocyanide
aurocyanides
aurodox
auromercaptoacetanilid
aurone
auropalpebral reflex
aurophilic
aurora (current term)
aurora-colored
aurora australis
aurora austrealis
aurora borealis
aurora kinase
aurorae
auroral
aurorally
auroraphobia
auroras
aurorean
aurorite
aurosome

Literary usage of Aurora

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences by Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences (1871)
"aurora Borealis. aurora Borealis. Two coruscations from nearly east and ... aurora Borealis. Great AB All the northern hemisphere emblazoned columns and ..."

2. Bulletin by Mount Weather Observatory, Bluemont, Va, United States Weather Bureau (1911)
"(Dated June 13, 1910, translated by the Editor.1) As is well known the problem of taking successful photographs of the aurora borealis presents great ..."

3. The Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review by Isaac Smith Homans, William Buck Dana (1840)
"aurora Borealis. The aurora Borealis exhibits a number of distinct varieties. ... In the more splendid exhibitions of the aurora, a large bank of light is ..."

4. Adventure Guide to the Alaska Highway by Ed Readicker-Henderson (2006)
"Statewide, there are more than 750 of them. The aurora Borealis Besides wildlife and the glaciers, people go to the north country hoping to see the aurora ..."

5. The Geographical Journal by Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain) (1900)
"THE phenomena of the aurora australi^ are still very imperfectly known, ... Dr. W. Boiler,* in his catalogue of the appearances of the aurora australis ..."

6. The Popular Science Monthly (1884)
"nous (he does not say how), gave rise, at some distance from the earth, to the phenomena of the aurora.* A large library would hardly be sufficient to hold ..."

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