aurora borealis

noun

aurora bo·​re·​al·​is -ˌbȯr-ē-ˈa-ləs 

: an aurora that occurs in earth's northern hemisphere

called also northern lights

Examples of aurora borealis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The northern lights, a natural phenomenon formally known as the aurora borealis, can project colorful lights in the night sky because of an interaction between the sun's plasma and Earth's magnetic field, according to the National Weather Service. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025

Use the short-term forecast tool to track where the location of the aurora borealis for the next 30 to 90 minutes. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 8 Dec. 2025

Among its accommodations include glass igloos with views of the aurora borealis, according to its website. —John Tufts, IndyStar, 8 Dec. 2025

Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmers Whether your winter travel plans include chasing the aurora borealis up north or touring the iconic Christmas markets of Europe, your hands will never be cold with these rechargeable Ocoopa handwarmers in your coat pockets. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, northern dawn

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aurora borealis

• allis
• balas
• callous
• callus
• chalice
• gallus
• malice
• malus
• palace
• pallas
• phallus
• talis

Kids Definition

aurora borealis

noun

aurora bo·​re·​al·​is -ˌbōr-ē-ˈal-əs 

-ˌbȯr-

: broad bands of light that have a magnetic and electrical source and that appear in the sky at night especially in the arctic region

called also northern lights