Link Centre Dictionary

rainbow

rain·bow

UK/ˈɹeɪnbəʊ/ US/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/ fairly common slang us

noun

1.

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun''s rays by rain

2.

an illusory hope

  • “chasing rainbows”

Origin

From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboog (“rainbow”), German Regenbogen (“rainbow”), Danish regnbue (“rainbow”), Swedish regnbåge (“rainbow”), Icelandic regnbogi (“rainbow”).

Phrases

  • chase a rainbow
  • chase rainbows
  • double rainbow
  • end of the rainbow
  • fire rainbow
  • Kamloops rainbow trout
  • over the rainbow
  • rainbow ant

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.