To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of primary rainbow
: a rainbow in which the effective rays are refracted on entering each drop, reflected from its interior surface, and refracted again on emerging to pass to the observer's eye and in which the red is seen on the outside edge of the bow
Comments on primary rainbow
What made you want to look up primary rainbow? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Semantic Drift Quiz
A challenging quiz of changing words.
Take the quiz - A Thanksgiving Word Quiz
We are thankful for obscure words.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share primary rainbow