derwent water
Preserved but no longer current.
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 “derwent water” mean?
Lord Derwentwater's lights. A local name for the Aurora Boreahs; James, Earl of Derwentwater, was beheaded for re- bellion February 24th, 1716, and it is said that the northern lights were unusually brilliant that night.
Is “derwent water” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.