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

The town of Churchill is also located below the auroral oval, a region centered around Earth’s magnetic poles where auroras most persistently occur. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026

Entries include photographs of auroras, galaxies and landscapes of Earth’s moon. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

The short summer nights (and this week’s first quarter moon) may make faint aurora harder to see, with lingering twilight reducing the contrast required to spot a glow low on the northern horizon. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

During the current cycle, strong geomagnetic storms have repeatedly sent auroras far beyond their usual polar skies. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 July 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