HOW TO PRONOUNCE
rainbow
/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does rainbow mean?
noun
- A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
- Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.
- A wide assortment; a varied multitude.
More meanings (18)
noun
- (figuratively) An illusion; a mirage.
- A curveball, particularly a slow one.
- A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet; rainbow kick
- (slang) In Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, a flop that contains three different suits.
- Rainbow trout.
- A member of the Rainbow Guides, a Girl Guide movement for younger girls.
- (derogatory, figuratively) A person within the LGBT community.
adjective
- Multicolored, especially if in rainbow order.
- Made up of several races or ethnicities, or (more broadly) of several cultural or ideological factions.
- Composed entirely of different suits.
- Of or pertaining to rainbow tables.
- (derogatory) LGBT.
verb
- To brighten with, or as with, a rainbow; to pattern with the colours of the rainbow.
- To take the appearance of a rainbow.
- 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.
proper noun
- A census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States.
- A town in the Shire of Hindmarsh and the Shire of Yarriambiack, western Victoria, Australia.
- A surname.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
He loved the red gold of the sunstone, and the moonstone’s pearly whiteness, and the broken rainbow of the milky opal.
After a little time, however, this elemental hurly-burly passed away, a rainbow made its appearance, and the day became comparatively fine.
More book examples (3)
O.M. If the Me admires a rainbow, is it the whole Me that admires it, including the hair, hands, heels, and all?
I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow, and was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brentford.
But just when all my troubles seemed ended and the rainbow of promise in the sky, a new cloud appeared, black and threatening.