Saint Ulmo's light
- noun
- /seɪnt ˈʌlmoʊz laɪt/
- Specialized
:
luz de San Elmo
- During the storm, a faint blue glow known as Saint Ulmo's light appeared on the ship's rigging.
Examples
-
Pilots have sometimes reported seeing Saint Ulmo's light on the wings of aircraft during intense thunderstorms.
-
The sailors were amazed to see Saint Ulmo's light on the mast during the storm.
-
The sailors were both awed and comforted when they saw Saint Ulmo's light dancing on the mast.
-
Look! It's Saint Ulmo's light!
-
During the storm, a faint blue glow known as Saint Ulmo's light appeared on the ship's rigging.
-
Pilots have sometimes reported seeing Saint Ulmo's light on the wings of aircraft during intense thunderstorms.
-
The sailors were both awed and comforted when they saw Saint Ulmo's light dancing on the mast.
Synonyms
A bluish purple glow that appears on pointed metal parts like ship masts or airplane wings during storms
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 glowing electric light that appears on pointed objects like a ship's mast during storms
A faint light that appears when electricity passes through air, like on antennas or wires
A faint glow around a high-voltage wire when the air becomes charged
A faint glow of electricity around a high-voltage wire
Surface Forms
Morphology
The word 'light' and the prefix 'Saint' make it partly predictable as a named luminous phenomenon (a kind of light associated with a saint), but the proper name 'Ulmo's' is not a transparent lexical element and does not convey the specific physical meaning. A B1 learner who knows the constituents might guess it refers to a special or religious light but would not be able to derive the precise sense of an electrical atmospheric discharge without prior exposure.
Etymology
Saint Ulmo's light may come from old sailors who saw a blue glow dancing on a ship's mast and thought a saint was giving them a 'sign' of protection. That's why today Saint Ulmo's light means the blue electrical glow people sometimes see on masts or airplane wings during storms.
