rainbow

CEFRA1

/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A curved band of colors seen in the sky after rain.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A wide assortment; a varied multitude.

Examples

  • A beautiful rainbow is spanning the sky.

  • No sooner had it stopped raining than a beautiful rainbow appeared.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈɹeɪmboʊ/
  • /ˈɹeɪnbəʊ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.

  2. A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.

  3. A curveball, particularly a slow one.

More examples

In context

  • Many electoral promises are rainbows, vanishing soon after poll day.

  • What a beautiful rainbow!

  • Oh look, the rainbow came back.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After the storm, sunlight on water droplets creates a beautiful blank with seven colors.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboog (“rainbow”), German Regenbogen (“rainbow”), Danish regnbue (“rainbow”), Swedish regnbåge (“rainbow”), Icelandic regnbogi (“rainbow”).