aurora borealis
Preserved but no longer current.
The electrical lights occasionally seen in the northern part of the sky; also called "Northern Lights," and "Merry Dancers." See DERVVENTWATER. The similar phenomenon that occurs in the south and round the South Pole is known as the Aurora Australis.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “aurora borealis” mean?
The electrical lights occasionally seen in the northern part of the sky; also called "Northern Lights," and "Merry Dancers." See DERVVENTWATER. The similar phenomenon that occurs in the south and round the South Pole is known as the Aurora Australis.
Is “aurora borealis” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.