aurora
gb/ɚˈɔɹə/ us/ɚˈɔɹə/
B2
English
~ 8100
északi fény, sarki fény, hajnal, pirkadat, Auróra
NOUN
B2
1
északi fény
B1
sarki fény
B1
Usage pattern:
an aurora over [a place]
We traveled to northern Norway hoping to see the aurora.
Azért utaztunk Észak-Norvégiába, mert reméltük, hogy látjuk az északi fényt.
A green and purple aurora danced across the clear night sky.
Zöld és lila sarki fény táncolt a tiszta éjszakai égbolton.
Scientists are studying how solar storms affect the intensity of the aurora.
The forecast predicted a strong aurora over Canada tonight.
From the airplane window, they could just make out a faint aurora on the horizon.
Learner examples
I want to see an aurora one day.
Egyszer szeretném látni az északi fényt.
The aurora was bright and green in the dark sky.
Az északi fény ragyogó zöld volt a sötét égen.
People visit Iceland in winter to watch the aurora.
We stood outside for an hour before the aurora appeared.
He took many photos of the aurora over the mountains.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "aurora" with "aura". "Aurora" is a natural light in the sky, while "aura" is a feeling or atmosphere around a person, place, or thing.
Meaning
natural lights in the polar sky
Collocations
aurora borealis
|aurora australis
|see the aurora
|bright aurora
|faint aurora
|spectacular aurora
Synonyms
northern lights (A very common everyday term, but it usually refers specifically to auroras in the Northern Hemisphere.)
|
polar lights (More technical or descriptive; emphasizes that the lights occur near the poles.)
Antonyms
darkness (Contrasts with the bright light of an aurora in the night sky.)
Themes
science
|nature
|space
Definition
A band or curtain of moving colored light in the night sky, seen mainly near the North or South Pole.
A natural display of shifting, colored lights in the night sky, usually seen in high-latitude regions near the Earth’s magnetic poles.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
the aurora of [a time or event]
The village lay silent in the pale aurora that followed a long winter night.
A falu némán feküdt a hosszú téli éjszaka utáni sápadt hajnali fényben.
By the aurora of the next day, the soldiers were already on the road.
Másnap pirkadatkor a katonák már úton voltak.
Poets have long compared the aurora to the opening of a flower.
They set out at the aurora, when the sky was just beginning to glow.
In the cold aurora of early spring, the fields were still covered with frost.
Learner examples
We started our walk at the aurora, before the sun came up.
Hajnalban indultunk sétálni, még mielőtt felkelt a nap.
Birds began to sing in the aurora of the new day.
A madarak énekelni kezdtek az új nap hajnalán.
In the aurora, the sky was pink and soft.
The city was quiet in the aurora of morning.
Farmers went to the fields in the aurora.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use "aurora" for dawn in everyday conversation. In modern English, this sounds poetic or old-fashioned; use "dawn" or "sunrise" instead for normal speech.
Meaning
dawn; first light of day
Collocations
the aurora of dawn
|at the aurora
|rosy aurora
|before the aurora
Synonyms
dawn (The normal, everyday word; "aurora" is more poetic or literary.)
|
daybreak (Everyday and descriptive; not as stylistically elevated as "aurora".)
Antonyms
sunset (Refers to the opposite daily transition, when the sun goes down and daylight ends.)
Themes
time
|nature
Definition
The soft light in the sky just before the sun comes up in the morning.
The first light of day in the sky, marking the beginning of morning.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
3
Auróra
B2
Usage pattern:
Aurora, the goddess of [dawn]
In Roman mythology, Aurora rises each morning to announce the coming of the sun.
A római mitológiában Auróra minden reggel felkel, hogy hírül adja a Nap érkezését.
The painter depicted Aurora scattering flowers as she brings the dawn.
A festő Aurórát úgy ábrázolta, amint virágokat szór, miközben elhozza a hajnalt.
Ancient poets often called on Aurora to open the gates of day.
A statue of Aurora stood at the entrance to the temple of the sun.
The story describes Aurora falling in love with a mortal man.
Learner examples
Aurora is the Roman goddess of the dawn.
Auróra a hajnal római istennője.
In the story, Aurora opens the sky for the sun.
A történetben Auróra megnyitja az eget a Nap előtt.
Many old poems talk about Aurora and the morning light.
The picture shows Aurora flying in the early sky.
Aurora is like the Greek goddess Eos.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is a proper name and should be capitalized as "Aurora" in writing.
Meaning
Roman goddess of dawn
Collocations
Aurora and the sunrise
|the goddess Aurora
|Aurora in Roman myth
|Aurora and Eos
Synonyms
Eos (The Greek goddess of the dawn; not the same culture, but the closest mythological counterpart.)
Antonyms
Nox (In Roman myth, the goddess of night, conceptually opposite to Aurora as goddess of dawn.)
Themes
mythology
|culture
|religion
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A goddess in old Roman stories who is the spirit or person of the dawn.
In Roman mythology, the goddess who personifies the dawn.
Grammar
Dictionary form
aurora
IPA
GB/ɚˈɔɹə/
US/ɚˈɔɹə/
Syllables & stress
au - rora (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (au)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: aurora
- Plural: auroras
Word family
Forms
auroras
noun
Advanced or less common
auroral
adjective
Expressions
aurora australis
1/ɚˈɔɹə əstɹəlɪs/
fixed phrase
the Southern Lights
The moving colored lights that you can see in the night sky near the South Pole.
Examples
- From Tasmania, they were lucky enough to see the aurora australis.
- Scientists at the Antarctic research station recorded a bright aurora australis last winter.
- The aurora australis glowed red and green above the ice sheet.
aurora borealis
1/ɚˈɔɹə bˌɔɹiˈæləs/
fixed phrase
the Northern Lights
The moving colored lights that you can see in the night sky near the North Pole.
Examples
- We booked a tour to see the aurora borealis in Finland.
- Photographers waited all night to capture the aurora borealis over the frozen lake.
- The aurora borealis is caused by particles from the sun hitting the Earth’s atmosphere.