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

There are two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the sun. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026

The photo captured by Wiseman shows auroras on the poles, lit up in green. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

As the sun set behind Earth, auroras were visible to the top right and bottom left of the planet, and bright zodiacal light can be seen in a band at the bottom right. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026

Among the beautiful details in this image were not one but two auroras, as well as zodiacal light in the bottom right of the image. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 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
• senora
• signora
• aura
• bora
• cora
• flora

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