aurora

noun

au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
plural auroras or aurorae ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-
1
: dawn
2
capitalized : 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 adjective
aurorean adjective

Examples of aurora in a Sentence

a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The crew is also performing 22 different scientific experiments on behalf of institutions from eight different countries, including studying aurora in the atmosphere, growing mushrooms in microgravity and more. Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 Recently, the auroras were active the night of March 25 into the morning of March 26. Skyler Caruso, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025 However, impressive auroras were seen in polar regions in the gathering light of dawn. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 The agency also maintains an aurora dashboard that should help skygazers track the phenomenon. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aurora

Word History

Etymology

Latin — more at east

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aurora was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

aurora

noun
au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrōr-ə How to pronounce aurora (audio)
ȯ-ˈrōr-,
-ˈrȯr-
plural auroras or aurorae -ē How to pronounce aurora (audio)
auroral adjective

Geographical Definition

Aurora

geographical name

Au·​ro·​ra ə-ˈrȯr-ə How to pronounce Aurora (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on aurora

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