Meanings
nounball lightning (usually uncountable, plural ball lightnings)
plural ball lightnings
- uncountableusuallyA short-lived glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air and thought to consist of ionized gas associated with thunderstorms.
Synonyms: globe lightning, globular lightning
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA short-lived glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air and thought to consist of ionized gas associated with thunderstorms.
Origin
- GermanKugelblitz
- Englishball lightning
A calque of German Kugelblitz.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian кълбовидна мълния
- кълбовидна мълния (kălbovidna mălnija)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Catalan llamp en bola, llamp globular
- llamp en bolaa short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
- llamp globulara short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Chinese Mandarin 球狀閃電 /球状闪电, 球雷
- 球狀閃電 /球状闪电 (qiúzhuàng shǎndiàn)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
- 球雷 (qiúléi)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Czech kulový blesk
- kulový bleska short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Danish kuglelyn
- kuglelyna short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Dutch bolbliksem
- bolbliksema short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Esperanto globa fulmo
- globa fulmoa short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Estonian keravälk
- keravälka short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Finnish pallosalama
- pallosalamaa short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
French foudre en boule
- foudre en boulea short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
German Kugelblitz
- Kugelblitza short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Hebrew כדור ברק
- כדור ברקa short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Hungarian gömbvillám
- gömbvilláma short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Icelandic urðarmáni
- urðarmánia short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Irish caorthintreach
- caorthintreacha short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Italian fulmine globulare
- fulmine globularea short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Japanese 球電
- 球電 (kyūden)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Korean 구상번개
- 구상번개 (gusangbeon'gae)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Lithuanian kamuolinis žaibas
- kamuolinis žaibasa short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Norwegian kulelyn
- kulelyna short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Polish piorun kulisty
- piorun kulistya short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Portuguese raio globular
- raio globulara short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Romanian fulger globular
- fulger globulara short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Russian шарова́я мо́лния
- шарова́я мо́лния (šarovája mólnija)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Slovak guľový blesk
- guľový bleska short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Spanish rayo globular
- rayo globulara short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Swedish klotblixt, kulblixt
- klotblixta short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
- kulblixta short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Turkish yıldırım topu
- yıldırım topua short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Ukrainian кульова блискавка
- кульова блискавка (kulʹova blyskavka)a short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Vietnamese sét hòn
- sét hòna short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Welsh pelen fellt
- pelen fellta short-lived, glowing ball sometimes observed to float in the air
Cite this entry
APA
ball lightning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20lightning
MLA
“ball lightning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20lightning. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ball lightning,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ball%20lightning.
Source: ball lightning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.