rainbow

Meaning

Noun

1. A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
2. Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.
3. A wide assortment; a varied multitude.
4. An illusion; a mirage.
5. A curveball, particularly a slow one.
6. (slang) In Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, a flop that contains three different suits.
7. Rainbow trout.
8. A person within the LGBT community.

Adj

1. Multicolored, especially if in rainbow order.
2. Made up of several races or ethnicities, or (more broadly) of several cultural or ideological factions.
3. LGBT.
4. Composed entirely of different suits.
5. Of or pertaining to rainbow tables.

Verb

1. To brighten with, or as with, a rainbow; to pattern with the colours of the rainbow.
2. To take the appearance of a rainbow.
3. In climbing gyms where the rocks to climb are colored to indicate suggested climbing routes, to climb rocks of different colors, thereby ignoring such routes.

Synonyms

spectrum

iris

primary rainbow

iridescent

halo

lightning

madam

miss

rain

🌧️

snake

🐍

southern

striation

sunbeam

sun shower

thunder

🌩️

variegation

color spectrum

secondary rainbow

goldie

chromatic spectrum

indra’s bow

lyretail anthias

lyretail coralfish

lyretail fairy basslet

orange basslet

orange sea perch

red coral perch

sea goldie

rainbow serpent

arc

rainbow-colour

arch

girl

👧

girlfriend

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: reynbowe

Inherited from Old English: reġnboga

Cognate with Western Frisian: reinbôge

Cognate with Dutch: regenboog

Cognate with German: Regenbogen

Cognate with Danish: regnbue

Cognate with Swedish: regnbåge

Cognate with Icelandic: regnbogi

In summary

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”).