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View synonyms for

rainbow

[ reyn-boh ]

noun

  1. a bow or arc of prismatic colors appearing in the heavens opposite the sun and caused by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of rain. Compare primary rainbow, secondary rainbow.
  2. a similar bow of colors, especially one appearing in the spray of a waterfall or fountain.
  3. any brightly multicolored arrangement or display.
  4. a wide variety or range; gamut.
  5. a visionary goal:

    He pursued the rainbow of a singing career for years before becoming a success.



adjective

  1. having a diverse membership; including representatives from different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, etc.: LGBTQ Pride month celebrates all of the rainbow community.

    Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously described postapartheid South Africa as a rainbow nation.

    LGBTQ Pride month celebrates all of the rainbow community.

    Candidates are appealing to a rainbow coalition of minority voters.

rainbow

1

/ ˈɪˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a bow-shaped display in the sky of the colours of the spectrum, caused by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays through rain or mist
    1. any similar display of bright colours
    2. ( as modifier )

      a rainbow pattern

  2. an illusory hope

    to chase rainbows

  3. modifier of or relating to a political grouping together by several minorities, esp of different races

    the rainbow coalition

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Rainbow

2

/ ˈɪˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a member of the Rainbow Guides, the youngest group of girls (aged 5-7 years) in The Guide Association
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

rainbow

  1. An arc-shaped spectrum of color seen in the sky opposite the Sun, especially after rain, caused by the refraction and reflection of sunlight by droplets of water suspended in the air. Secondary rainbows that are larger and paler sometimes appear within the primary arc with the colors reversed (red being inside). These result from two reflections and refractions of a light ray inside a droplet.

rainbow

  1. The colored arch in the sky that is often seen after a rain. The rainbow is formed when water droplets in the air cause the diffraction of sunlight.
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Notes

The colors of the rainbow are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
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Other Word Forms

  • ·Ƿ· ·Ƿ· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of rainbow1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English reinbowe, Old English regnboga, rēnboga; cognate with Old Norse regnbogi, German Regenbogen; rain, bow 2
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Steelhead trout are the same species as rainbow trout, but they have different lifestyles.

From

He used the opportunity to field questions and tell us why he shoots rainbows and unicorns from his backside.

From

I had attended a Fishwife pop-up in Manhattan, where I feasted on deviled eggs with smoked rainbow trout, butter & anchovy toast, salmon seaweed snacks and caviar bumps.

From

Still, it was rather telling that with a government shutdown deadline looming, Johnson was not able to rally his troops around the bill’s merit but rather their dislike of rainbow flags.

From

For example, while Charterhouse UK displays a rainbow flag, the Nigeria school does not.

From

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