aurora

noun

au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə 

ȯ-

plural auroras or aurorae ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē 

ȯ-

1

: dawn

2

Aurora : 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 of aurora

• sunrise
• day
• dawn
• morning
• morn

Examples of aurora in a Sentence

a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber

Recent Examples on the Web

Eternia has auroras He-Man's home world has auroras, or colorful light displays in the night sky that occur when charged solar particles interact and react with a planet's atmosphere. —Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 5 June 2026

Auroras could be visible over many northern states and from Illinois to Oregon, the forecast shows. —Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 4 June 2026

Keep in mind that an 82 percent illuminated waning gibbous moon will brighten the sky tonight, potentially interfering with fainter auroras. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 4 June 2026

The darker your surroundings, the more vivid the aurora colors will appear. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026

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

Rhymes for aurora

• aurorae
• fedora
• menorah
• minora
• pandora
• pecora
• senhora
• senora
• signora
• aura
• bora
• burra

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