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

Known for creating ribbons of colorful light in the night sky, the aurora borealis are polar lights, or aurora polaris, that appear in the Northern Hemisphere. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026

Dowhan said guests have reported seeing the aurora borealis on the 10-day excursion. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026

How to view the aurora borealis in Iowa During times of high geomagnetic activity, which pushes the northern lights further south, the aurora will be visible directly overhead in the northern United States, according to the prediction center. —Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 20 Mar. 2026

Space weather scientists say the current solar activity could produce only minor aurora borealis displays this week, but that could change as the solar activity increases. —Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026

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