ball lightning
noun
: a rare form of lightning consisting of luminous balls that may move along solid objects or float in the air
Examples of ball lightning in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earliest report of ball lightning in England discovered Nature.
—
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024
Scientists, however, remain unable to explain the sightings or even verify that ball lightning exists.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
When amplified, its ball lightning attack pulses three times instead of just once.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022
With all this information at hand, Hughes drew a potential connection between green fireballs—which can be caused by fast-moving meteors—and ball lightning.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2022
Just like normal lightning, ball lightning seems to occur primarily during thunderstorms.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2022
And like Gervase of Canterbury, Gregory of Tours seems to have written about ball lightning.
—Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 1 Feb. 2022
Like ball lightning, earthquake lights are relatively rare—captivating but hard for scientists to explain.
—Christina Nunez, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
One thought is that ball lightning’s victims may continue to exist in a quantum state—like ghosts, in fact, trying to communicate.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2018
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.
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024
Scientists, however, remain unable to explain the sightings or even verify that ball lightning exists.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
When amplified, its ball lightning attack pulses three times instead of just once.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022
With all this information at hand, Hughes drew a potential connection between green fireballs—which can be caused by fast-moving meteors—and ball lightning.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2022
Just like normal lightning, ball lightning seems to occur primarily during thunderstorms.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2022
And like Gervase of Canterbury, Gregory of Tours seems to have written about ball lightning.
—Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 1 Feb. 2022
Like ball lightning, earthquake lights are relatively rare—captivating but hard for scientists to explain.
—Christina Nunez, National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019
One thought is that ball lightning’s victims may continue to exist in a quantum state—like ghosts, in fact, trying to communicate.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near ball lightning
Cite this Entry
“Ball lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ball%20lightning. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share