Rainbow

Rainbow

Noun · /ˈreɪnbəʊ/ · an arc of spectral colours in the sky; also used figuratively

Definition

A rainbow is a meteorological and optical phenomenon — a multicoloured arc that appears in the sky when sunlight is refracted, dispersed, and reflected by water droplets in the atmosphere. The colours appear in a fixed sequence: red on the outer arc, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet on the inner arc. Figuratively, rainbow is used as an adjective to mean diverse, multicoloured, or inclusive: a rainbow coalition, a rainbow flag, rainbow-coloured bunting.

Origin

Old English regnboga, from regn (rain) and boga (bow, arc). The word is ancient — cognates exist in Old High German, Old Norse, and Gothic, all meaning the same thing. The arc shape was the defining observation long before science explained the optics. People named what they saw: a bow made of rain.