electric glow
- noun
- /ɪˈlɛktrɪk ɡloʊ/
- Specialized
:
resplandor eléctrico
- Through the window came an electric glow, then up rose the five moons, shining through a high overcast as if wrapped in blue gauze.
Examples
-
The electric glow of the neon signs illuminated the entire street.
-
As the storm passed, the electric glow from the lightning lit up the dark sky.
-
She marveled at the electric glow produced by the experiment when the gas was ionized.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A blue glow that appears on pointed objects like ship masts or airplane wings during thunderstorms
1
5.4
A bright, very hot flow of electricity across a gap that makes light and heat
A blue or violet glow that appears on pointed objects during storms
A blue or purple light that appears on pointed objects like ship masts during storms
A bluish purple glow that appears on pointed metal parts like ship masts or airplane wings during storms
A faint blue glow that appears on ship masts or airplane wings during storms caused by electricity in the air
A glowing electric light that appears on pointed objects like a ship's mast during storms
A faint glow of electricity around a high-voltage wire
A faint glow around a high-voltage wire when the air becomes charged
How Bright
- Archaic
1
8.1
- Specialized
119
1.0
- Specialized
1
9.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a visible light produced by electricity' is directly and predictably composed from 'electric' (relating to electricity) + 'glow' (a gentle light). This adjective+noun combination is transparently compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the general sense even if they don't know the technical detail about ionization.
Etymology
Electric glow comes from the bright light people saw around wires or the tops of ship masts when the air near them filled with electricity, a sight old sailors called St. Elmo's fire. That clear image, something electric that gives a soft glow, is why the term means 'a visible light made by electrical discharge' today.