crepuscular ray

noun

A sunbeam seen just after sunset or just before sunrise, caused by a cloud below the horizon and dust particles in the air above the horizon.

OriginLatin crepusculum →
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Meanings

nouncrepuscular ray (plural crepuscular rays)

plural crepuscular rays

  1. A sunbeam seen just after sunset or just before sunrise, caused by a cloud below the horizon and dust particles in the air above the horizon.
  2. A cloud shadow cast on the bright sky.

Origin

  1. Latincrepusculum“twilight”
  2. Englishcrepuscular ray

From the Latin crepusculum (“twilight”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish hämäränsäde
  • hämäränsädesunbeam
French pied-de-vent
  • pied-de-ventsunbeam
Hungarian árnyéksáv
  • árnyéksávsunbeam
Icelandic sólstafir
  • sólstafirsunbeam
Polish śreżoga
  • śreżogasunbeam
Cite this entry
APA

crepuscular ray. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crepuscular%20ray

MLA

“crepuscular ray.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crepuscular%20ray. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crepuscular ray,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crepuscular%20ray.

Source: crepuscular ray on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.